You Might As Well Wave Goodbye To Crash Bandicoot 5
Well, it looks like Dr. Neo Cortex's evil schemes have finally caught up with us, as there's potentially devastating news for our hopes of Crash Bandicoot 5. With the runaway success of 2020's Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time being down to the fact it was more than just a clever pun on the fact we waited 22 years for it, don't expect to see a sequel in the near future.
Alongside Lara Croft, Crash Bandicoot is THE defining PlayStation mascot, and while he's long since ditched his PlayStation exclusivity, there were hopes that Microsoft's recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard could breathe new life into the spinning marsupial.
Why Is Crash 5 In Trouble?
Technically, the mythical Crash 5 isn't the fifth entry at all. That dubious honour goes to the underwhelming Crash Twinsanity from 2004. In a stroke of genius, Toys for Bob's It's About Time retconned later entries and picked up the story directly after 1998's Warped. The latest news doesn't relate to the developer, but it's not looking good for the Crash name as a whole.
Activision's newest acquisition sees Vicarious Visions also fall under its ever-expanding umbrella. If you don't know, Vicarious was responsible for the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, which released in 2017 and undoubtedly led to It's About Time. If the remastered trilogy hadn't been such a hit, there's no way we would've moved ahead with the reboot.
The big takeaway is that Vicarious Visions will remain in Albany, but now, will focus all its efforts on Blizzard games. So, if you like World of Warcraft or Overwatch loot boxes, you're in luck. It's a grim day for the studio that not only reinvigorated Crash, but also brought Tony Hawk's Pro Skater back from the grave. One mourning fan simply wrote: "I would have loved for guys to be separate and continue making Crash, Skylanders or whatever you want to make. Thank you for the fond memories."
What Does The Future Hold For Crash Bandicoot?
This is the second big Crash departure that doesn't exactly bode well for the franchise. The Microsoft takeover already angered die-hard Crash fans when it looked like Microsoft was sticking the middle finger to PlayStation owners, but that's nothing compared to the inevitable outrage when they hear the latest update. If this wasn't enough, Toys for Bob was seconded to help Raven Software on the crumbling Call of Duty: Warzone.
It's not all doom and gloom though in the court of Crash. Shamed Activision CEO Bobby Kotick mentioned having a new ability to "grow existing franchises," with gamers giving a possible wink toward the likes of Crash and Spyro the Dragon. Last year, Toys for Bob was also hiring for a Senior Concept Artist, but yet again, we're left in the dark as to what it meant. As the months go on and Microsoft seems destined to bang its Call of Duty drum, it might take the magic of Aku Aku to bring Crash 5 into our lives.
