Just weeks after the news that Crash Bandicoot and Spyro developer Toys for Bob wouldn't actually be shutting up shop, the studio heads Paul Yan & Avery Lodato have now dropped some surprising news - revealing the team is going independent.
This "opportunity" will apparently allow Toys for Bob to return to its roots of being a "small and nimble studio". The same message on the official website mentions how Microsoft and Activision have been "extremely supportive" of the decision, and it expects to continue to "work closely together" in the future.
It's supposedly already exploring a "possible partnership" with its new studio and Microsoft, but it's still "early days" with the next new game, so don't expect any announcements just yet. It's also looking forward to developing new stories and characters. Here's the message in full:
"We’re thrilled to announce that Toys for Bob is spinning off as an independent game development studio!
Over the years, we've inspired love, joy, and laughter for the inner child in all gamers. We pioneered new IP and hardware technologies in Skylanders. We raised the bar for best-in-class remasters in Spyro Reignited Trilogy. We’ve taken Crash Bandicoot to innovative, critically acclaimed new heights.
With the same enthusiasm and passion, we believe that now is the time to take the studio and our future games to the next level. This opportunity allows us to return to our roots of being a small and nimble studio.
To make this news even more exciting, we’re exploring a possible partnership between our new studio and Microsoft. And while we’re in the early days of developing our next new game and a ways away from making any announcements, our team is excited to develop new stories, new characters, and new gameplay experiences.
Our friends at Activision and Microsoft have been extremely supportive of our new direction and we’re confident that we will continue to work closely together as part of our future.
So, keep your horns on and your eyes out for more news. Thank you to our community of players for always supporting us through our journey. We can't wait to share updates on our new adventure as an indie studio! Talk to you soon!"
Apart from the Toys for Bob facility shutting down, according to recent reports, it's believed around 86 workers at this studio were impacted by Microsoft's mass layoffs.
Toys for Bob has most recently worked on Crash Team Rumble and has also acted as a support studio on Sledgehammer's Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 game. Some other games it's released in more recent years include Crash Bandicoot 4 and Spyro Reignited Trilogy.