The rumored partnership between Xbox and Toys for Bob is now official, and fans of Spyro are already latching onto the tiniest clues in hopes that a new entry in the beloved platformer series is on the way.
"We're excited to announce that we'll be partnering with Xbox to publish our next new game," Toys for Bob says in a tweet. "We're still very early in development, so you might not hear from us for a bit - but know that we're working hard on an experience we're so sooo inspired about! Can't wait to share more." The image accompanying the announcement is purple. Purple like Spyro. Series fans have been quick to connect the dots.
Oh its Spyro 4 time baybeeeee https://t.co/9PQHIa4ajf pic.twitter.com/FNsRaj7pyCMay 31, 2024
THE BACKGROUND IS PURPLE SPYRO 4 CONFIRMED https://t.co/MGbrILdINJMay 31, 2024
Conspiracy theorists will comment on your choice of purple. (I am conspiracy theorists)May 31, 2024
The idea that Spyro 4 is in development might not actually be that far-fetched. Rumors that Toys for Bob was partnering with Microsoft first emerged in March, with reports that Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty said the studio was building something similar to its previous work. Shortly after, YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh published a widely circulated video report suggesting that Spyro 4 is, in fact, in development.
Whether these reports, rumors, and speculation pan out remains to be seen, but it would be a long, strange trip for Toys for Bob to get here. Under Activision, the studio became known for the toys-to-life Spyro reimagining, Skylanders, and eventually built a series of well-loved platformer revivals in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4. Then, like many Activision studios, it started to focus on supporting Call of Duty development.
The Spyro franchise came under the Microsoft banner after the Xbox Activision deal, but Toys for Bob announced it was going indie shortly afterward. Given the mass layoffs and studio closures Microsoft has taken part in through the first half of 2024, that move seems downright fortuitous now, though it's worth noting that Toys for Bob didn't escape fully unscathed.
Either way, Toys for Bob is the rare modern studio with experience developing AAA platformers, and a partnership with Xbox could give the devs access to a whole lot of beloved IP. Besides Crash and Spyro, of course, Xbox also owns the Rare catalog, and Phil Spencer has been so bold as to invoke the name of Banjo-Kazooie in the past. If not Spyro, here's hoping that fans of at least one classic 3D platformer series can get something out of all this.
The Spyro Reignited Trilogy did right by some of the best PS1 games of all time.
