Despite initial claims to the contrary, it appears Crash Bandicoot 4 studio Toys For Bob hasn't been shuttered after Activision recently laid off 162 workers.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Activision has laid off a total of 162 workers surrounding the San Francisco area - 86 workers in Novato and 76 in Foster City were affected. The original report notes that the address from which the 86 workers in Novato were laid off matches the location registered to studio Toys For Bob.
At the time, it was speculated that Toys For Bob, the Crash Bandicoot 4 developer owned by Activision, would be shut down entirely, but now that doesn't seem to be the case.
Below, DidYouKnowGaming's Liam Robertson and Seasoned Gaming's Ainsley Bowden both claim that the studio will now pivot to remote work entirely. The pair claim that Toys For Bob's physical office in California has been shut down following the Activision layoffs, but the remaining developers will continue to work together remotely.
Correction: I deleted my prior post about Toys for Bob because it was seemingly incorrect. It seems the physical office was shut down and some employees were let go. But the studio itself is still active with a majority staff of remote workers.Apologies!Now… pic.twitter.com/cU76imWedYFebruary 8, 2024
There are whispers going around from some of the insiders that while the offices are closing, Toys For Bob might be relocating to a smaller place with a smaller team. Haven't heard anything first hand yet because so many people have been fired lately so I don't know.February 8, 2024
Toys For Bob has primarily worked on the Crash Bandicoot series, making Crash Team Rumble in 2023 and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time three years prior in 2020. Over the last three years though, the developer had been drafted in to assist on Call of Duty games, helping make the likes of Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
As recently as July 2023, Toys For Bob's studio head said that Activision was keen to invest in the Crash Bandicoot series. With the studio's two major projects, Crash Team Rumble and Modern Warfare 3, having shipped last year, though, it's not immediately clear what Toys For Bob's remaining developers are working on right now.
Read up on our new games 2024 guide for a look at all the big and small releases set to debut throughout the year.
