Summary
Nicholas Kole, a character designer and illustrator who worked onCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, has confirmed that a version of Crash 5 (presumably by Toys for Bob) was cancelled some time ago.
When Microsoft announced that it was going to be purchasing Activision Blizzardand we didn’t know just how much of anawful ripple effect that would have on the industry, there was somegenuine excitement surrounding the future of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. Most fans figured that, with Xbox at the helm, both platforming icons would be given a new lease of life and a chance to shine.
So far, though, that’s not what has ended up happening. We’ve not heard anything about Crash or Spyro since the deal was inked and have instead watchedToys for Bob leap away from Xbox and transition into being an indie studio.One that has a deal with Microsoft for an upcoming game, mind, but it’s still not been looking great for our boys Crash and Spyro.
The “Crash 5 That Never Was” Is Going To Break Fans' Hearts
I hate to be the bearer of more bad Crash news, but it looks like things haven’t looked great for a while as at least one version of Crash 5 was seemingly cancelled or rejected in the past. Over on Twitter,Crash 4 character designer and illustrator Nicholas Kole shared the sad newsthat one of his games, Project Dragon, is now officially dead after three years of work and a final attempt at saving it internally.
Beyond being gutting for Kole, the news lit a firecracker underneath Spyro fans, who assumed that “Project Dragon” was referring to a new Spyro game. In response, Kole apologised for worrying people and then suggested that Crash fansare in for an even bigger heartbreak when they hear about the “Crash 5 that never was”.
It’s possible that the version of Crash 5 that Kole is referring to was pitched by a studio other than Toys for Bob, but considering their close relationship with the series, it seems fair to assume that it was involved.
Kole doesn’t go as far as revealing anything about the potential fifth Crash game, but it’s safe to assume that it would have been pitched and developed by Toys for Bob before they became an independent studio. We don’t know enough about the state of the project to know if it was cancelled during development or if it was a pitch that was rejected before making it that far, but it’s still sad to know that a version of Crash 5 was thought up.
Although it might seem like sad news for Crash fans, it’s worth noting that this is just one version of Crash 5 that never saw the light of day, one that would have likely been complicated by the Xbox merger and Toys for Bob going independent. Until we learn more, I’m hopeful that we will eventually get Crash 5 in some form.
