It's time for Spyro to take flight once again. Developer Toys for Bob would never come outright and say it, but I get the sense that Spyro: A Realm Beyond is trying to pick up where Insomniac Games left the character in Year of the Dragon. It's not like the character has been left to gather dust since the year 2000, he has been on plenty of adventures of differing qualities, but there's something about the vivid colors and ambitious approach to play that's being presented here which recalls the glory days.
Toys for Bob studio head Paul Yan tells me that the team is "building A Realm Beyond from the ground up" as a brand new adventure, one that's built to offer a new entry point into the long running series and speak to "the longtime fans and legacy of who Spyro is." Actor Tom Kenny (best known for his work as SpongeBob SquarePants) is reprising his role as the titular dragon, having voiced the character in Ripto's Rage and Year of the Dragon, as well as Toys for Bob's 2018 Reignited Trilogy.
It's likely that the confident, slightly arrogant, persona that defined Spyro in the original trilogy will go through some changes for A Realm Beyond. As a new antagonist rises across a new and mysterious realm, an older and more boisterous Spyro will be there to meet them.
Associate creative director Lou Studdert can only talk around whether the hero is entering his teenage years: "You know, dragons age differently than people," he laughs. "You've noticed there are some slight adjustments made to reflect that Spyro is really coming into his own. You can see it on his crest, you can see that his wings have gotten significantly bigger… there's more to come on the narrative!"
With Spyro: A Realm Beyond set to release in 2027, it's too early to dig into all the details. What Toys for Bob is willing to talk about is one of the reasons behind Spyro's increased wingspan: "When we realized that we wanted him to fly, those small wings just weren't going to cut it," says Studdert.
It's been a long time since Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and even longer since the classic Insomniac trilogy first landed, so perhaps a little refresher is in order. Spyro's primary form of aerial traversal was a gentle glide from jumps, and in very rare instances, flight under time-pressure in specific mini-levels. Yan says "I always wondered what it would be like if these two experiences could somehow be collapsed into Spyro’s core ability kit," and that question has been at the very heart of A Realm Beyond's design since.
"We started prototyping this game with flight and with a more unique moveset in mind," Studdert adds. "As we started building it out, finding that fun, we then realized that we'd need a bigger sense of scale to support that moveset – and so the world is far more vertical and expansive." The associate creative director stops short of confirming whether A Realm Beyond will run across wider, interconnected spaces or a full open-world – more detail to come there soon, I'm told.
Taking Flight
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For now, Toys for Bob is only willing to confirm that "taking to the skies and owning the airtime" is going to be a massive focus for this adventure, with Yan confirming that you'll be able to "experience the freedom of true dragon flight." The pair tell me that figuring out this fantasy is core to what Toys for Bob wants to achieve with this long-awaited sequel, giving you the freedom to take to the skies at a moment's notice, shifting from charges on the ground to graceful flight in the sky on a whim.
"We want a zen-like fluidity, we want chaining of moves and exploration – for you to really be interacting with the environment as this quadruped who is its own unique beast," says Studdert. "Honing in on that feeling, that experience, has been our north star. We want to push the sense of wonder, adventure, and awe that this franchise uniquely delivers."
The challenge that Toys for Bob faces with Spyro A Realm Beyond is in knowing how far to push the series without diluting what made it so special to begin with. The studio has exceptional knowledge of this universe, having steered the character through the Reignited trilogy remake (which Yan says sold over 11 million copies) and the beloved Skylanders spin-offs. "We felt this when we worked on Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time as well," says Studdert. "What we like to do when we start working on a new project, especially if it is an established IP, is to really hone in on what emotions it brings out."
"That tension is so real, right?" adds Yan. "I'm proud of the team. They are thinking that through very thoughtfully, and listening to the community as we do. Because you have these two extremes: If you stick too much to nostalgia, then you basically just rehash what's been done before; and on the other extreme, if you innovate too much then all of a sudden players don't recognize the series anymore."
"We learned a lot during the development of Reignited. We've carried a lot of those lessons forward into A Realm Beyond – and obviously they are very different projects, we aren't recreating classics this time. But we've built up a confidence in our instincts for what feels tonally right for this character," says Yan, adding, "and I can't wait for fans to see the direction we're taking the series in."
Spyro: A Realm Beyond is a key new game of 2027 where it's set to take flight on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X.
