Activision's shift to live-service games reportedly led to the cancellation of Crash Bandicoot 5, a project already in early development at Toys for Bob. This revelation comes from DidYouKnowGaming's Liam Robertson, who detailed the game's concept, including a planned dual-protagonist system featuring Crash and Spyro, battling an interdimensional threat in a villainous children's school setting. Concept art showcasing this collaboration was reportedly created.
The cancellation, hinted at earlier by former Toys for Bob concept artist Nicholas Kole, is attributed to Crash Bandicoot 4's perceived underperformance and Activision's prioritization of live-service titles. This isn't an isolated incident; Robertson's report also indicates that a proposed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, a sequel to the successful remakes, was rejected due to Activision's restructuring and the subsequent absorption of Vicarious Visions, the studio behind the remakes, into the publisher's larger teams working on Call of Duty and Diablo. Tony Hawk himself confirmed that plans for 3+4 existed until Vicarious Visions' integration into Activision. The lack of trust in other studios to handle the franchise ultimately led to the cancellation of the project, despite initial pitches. The focus on live-service models appears to have significantly impacted the development of several single-player sequels within Activision's portfolio.
