Crash Bandicoot 5 was reportedly in the works, but was cancelled

Character artist Nicholas Kole, who previously worked on Spyro Reignited Trilogy And Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timealleged a version of Crash Bandicoot 5 was in preparation before being cancelled for unknown reasons.

The news was mentioned almost casually, in a comment responding to a question about a cancelled game known as “Project Dragon”. Kole had lamented the cancellation of this mysterious project and called it “the biggest artistic bomb of work I’ve ever loved”. Based on Kole’s work on Spyro the dragonSome commentators have speculated that the project is linked to Spyro – but Kole confirmed that this was not the case, in the same breath he mentioned a cancellation Crash 5 It would “break hearts.”

That’s all Kole said, and it’s unlikely that more will be said about the project, as discussions of canceled games tend to be forbidden by studio edicts and non-disclosure agreements. While they’re a fascinating part of video game history, studios tend to view canceled games as financial and creative failures to be ignored.

According to Kole, we will hear about Crash 5 one day – but it certainly won’t be today. Instead, we can only speculate about what was planned for this sequel, and how it might have followed on from the excellent and thought-provoking Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.

Read: Toys for Bob’s Xbox partnership sparks new Spyro rumors

Was Crash Bandicoot 5 in development at Toys for Bob?

Based on Kole’s comments, it is highly likely that Toys for Bob was working on Crash Bandicoot 5 at some point after the successful launch of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About TimeTo date, this game has sold 5 million copies, so it makes sense that a sequel was discussed at some point.

While the IP was likely owned by Activision Blizzard at the time of development (it’s now owned by Microsoft), Toys for Bob’s success with Crash means a sequel would have been relatively safe in the studio’s hands.

Kole didn’t elaborate on the reason for the game’s apparent cancellation, but it’s worth noting that Toys for Bob has been going through a tumultuous period in recent months. Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the studio announced an official spinoff from its former parent company. While Toys for Bob executives have spoken of a bright future for the company, it’s speculated that the split was a way to avoid a complete shutdown as Microsoft entered cost-cutting mode.

As part of this split, Toys for Bob technically lost access to the Spyro And Accident IP – and while the studio now has a new partnership with Xbox that could allow it to work with those properties, its independence may have caused challenges for its existing projects. Crash 5 could have been lost in this split, or potentially even earlier, depending on the circumstances.

For now, details around a potential Crash 5 remain unclear. We do not know at what stage of development this announced project was, nor how the plans were shaping up. It is unlikely that we will hear more anytime soon, but there is nevertheless the possibility of a loss Crash 5 remains both intriguing and heartbreaking.