Toys for Bob, the developer of Crash Bandicoot 4 and Crash Team Rumble, is officially independent of Activision and Microsoft. Despite the split, the studio hasn’t ruled out working with those companies in the future.

Crash Bandicoot developer Toys for Bob splits from Activision after 19 years

Toys for Bob’s separation from Activision goes into effect today, February 29. The divorce also appears to be an amicable one, according to the studio’s official statement. “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,” Toys for Bob wrote. The company, which closed its physical office earlier this month, also says it is exploring a possible partnership with Microsoft, which acquired Crash Bandicoot publisher Activision last year.

If this partnership works out, it could mean that Toys for Bob isn’t done with the Crash Bandicoot series. Unfortunately, the company’s statement didn’t detail its future plans, but it promises to give more updates soon.

Founded by Paul Reiche and Fred Ford in 1989, Toys for Bob released its first game, Star Control, in 1990. Decades later, it developed the Skylanders series, released from 2011 to 2016. It later released the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy before launching Crash Bandicoot 4 in 2020. Its last game as the primary developer was 2023’s Crash Team Rumble, though it also assisted on Modern Warfare III.

While Toys for Bob’s relationship with Activision lasted almost 20 years, the studio expressed excitement for its new opportunities. “With the same enthusiasm and passion,” it says, “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.”

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Crash Bandicoot and Spyro developer Toys for Bob has undergone layoffs significant enough for Microsoft to shutter its physical office. The Skylanders creator has lost 86 staff members, and has since gone remote. Although Toys for Bob has survived the cuts, its future seems uncertain.

Toys for Bob’s Crash Bandicoot and Spyro games were well received

As reported by San Francisco Chronicle, Toys for Bob isn’t the only studio that lost a significant chunk of its workforce. Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer Games shed 76 positions. Both studios’ layoffs are part of the 1,900 redundancies that Microsoft recently announced following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

It has been reported that Sledgehammer Games has also scaled down its physical operations, with its remaining workforce going remote for now.

Toys for Bob was founded in 1989 and was owned by Crystal Dynamics between 1993 and 2000. Activision purchased the studio in 2005 following which it created the Skylanders series. Toys for Bob’s Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time all earned praise. However, Activision later turned the developer into a Call of Duty support studio, starting with 2021’s Warzone.

Toys for Bob’s last Crash outing, Crash Team Rumble, didn’t have the same success as its predecessors.

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A tweet by the official Twitter account for Spyro the Dragon series has given birth to speculations that a new game is in the works. The tweet in question specifically mentions “2024,” with fans hoping for a release late this year.

Will the next Spyro game land on the PS5?

Rumors of a new Spyro game have been making rounds for at least a year. Current developer Toys for Bob published a similar tweet exactly a year ago, hinting that something is in the works. The latest tease can be seen below.

A lot has changed since the last Spyro release — Spyro Reignited Trilogy — in 2018. The IP along with its pubisher Activision was snapped up by Microsoft in a historic merger that’s still under investigation and facing opposition from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and rival Sony. Regardless, Spyro is now a Microsoft property despite its history on the PlayStation platforms, and as a result, the next game could be an Xbox exclusive if that’s what Microsoft wants.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently said that he’s keen to revisit fan-favorite franchises, with players hoping for several revivals including Spyro, Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk, and Skylanders. Whether they’ll land on the PS5 or not is anybody’s guess.

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The Spyro Reignited Trilogy has reached a huge sales milestone, developer Toys for Bob and publisher Activision announced on Friday.

How many units has the Spyro Reignited Trilogy sold?

The trilogy of games, which originally released in 2018, has officially sold 10 million units, with the big milestone coming as Spyro plans to celebrate its 25th anniversary on September 9, 2023.

In a press release on the news, Activision hinted that there would be some celebrations for the anniversary, and to keep an eye out on social media channels for more news.

The Spyro Reignited Trilogy first launched on just the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, before making its way onto the Nintendo Switch and PC in 2019. The collection bundles together remakes of Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon.

The original Spyro the Dragon launched in 1998 for the PlayStation, and was developed by Insomniac Games. The game quickly became a smash hit, with its soundtrack — composed by The Police drummer Stewart Copeland — also being heavily praised. The Reignited Trilogy soundtrack is also now available on Spotify, and features 45 tracks ranging across all three games.

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Toys for Bob just announced that a Crash Team Rumble free weekend would be taking place, giving players an opportunity to try out the online action game for no extra cost.

When is the Crash Team Rumble free weekend?

The Crash Team Rumble free weekend dates have been set for August 11 to August 14, with the game becoming available to play for free at 10 a.m. PT. The free trial will be available for both PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and cross-play will be enabled.

During the free trial, players will be able to play an unlimited number of matches, and anything earned in-game — including items, characters, and XP — will carry over if anyone purchases the game.

No official list of available characters was announced, but Toys for Bob’s announcement did say that there would be access to “a sample of characters and their respective cosmetics and select powers.” There are 10 total playable characters in the game, all of whom come from various games in the Crash Bandicoot franchise.

7

Crash Team Rumble Review (PS5): Take the Wumpa to the Bank

Crash Team Rumble, a team-based four-on-four multiplayer game, isn’t likely what anyone was asking for after the bandicoot’s successful return…

Reviews Tyler Treese 9 months ago

Originally released in June 2023, Crash Team Rumble is an online multiplayer game that pits two teams of players against each other. Players must stockpile Wumpa Fruit while stopping the opposing team from doing so in a four-versus-four format.

The post Crash Team Rumble Free Weekend Dates Announced appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The Crash Team Rumble Season 1 update has been released today alongside the start of the Ripper Roo early access event. While the former solves problems like the high-volume crashes on PS5, the latter has seemingly introduced its own issues that actually benefit players.

Crash Team Rumble Season 1 update patch notes

The Crash Team Rumble Season 1 update patch notes are fairly short and simple, only mentioning fixes for crashes on the PS5 and those related to N.Tropy’s abilities. The update went live at 9 a.m. PT on July 6, 2023. You can see the full patch notes below:

General

• A crash involving hero abilities associated with N.Tropy has been resolved.
• A high-volume crash that has affected some users on the PS5 has been resolved

Unsurprisingly, the patch arrived at the start of Season 1. The main draw at the start of the season is the early access Ripper’s Lost It! event for Ripper Roo. From 8 AM PT today until July 10, players need to find and collect marbles that are scattered across the game’s maps. As well as the character himself, there will be skins, emblems, and other rewards to unlock. The good news is that players are unlocking Ripper and other rewards at a quicker rate than they should. Toys For Bob are aware of the problem but won’t be changing the progression rate, so make use of this bug while you can.

Those who miss the event will be able to unlock the character from July 20 when he is fully released. Toys For Bob also wanted to stress that the character is not for sale and is not locked behind the Battle Pass.

July 20 is also the debut for the new Bogged Down map. This will arrive alongside the Bogged Down challenge which will see players collecting fish across all maps to earn more rewards. And on July 13, there will be the Zap Trap limited-time mode running until July 17.

August begins with an early access period for the Sticky TNT power from August 3 to August 7. This will be fully released on August 24. The Zap Trap 2 limited-time mode will run between August 17 to August 21. Finally, between August 24 and August 28 there will be an early access period for the new Dr. N. Gin character. He will be fully released on September 14.

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Players aiming for the Crash Team Rumble Platinum trophy need not worry about an overwhelming multiplayer grind, as the list appears to be fairly quick to complete. While multiplayer games usually ask players to play a large number of matches, reach the highest player level, or unlock a lot of new features, CTR doesn’t do any of this.

Here’s the Crash Team Rumble trophy list

There are 45 trophies in the Crash Team Rumble trophy list, including the coveted Platinum trophy. One of the first trophies players are likely to earn will be to complete the tutorial. After that, they will need to win a competitive match with every one of the eight launch characters, and complete tasks using their abilities.

7

Crash Team Rumble Review (PS5): Take the Wumpa to the Bank

Crash Team Rumble, a team-based four-on-four multiplayer game, isn’t likely what anyone was asking for after the bandicoot’s successful return…

Reviews Tyler Treese 9 months ago

Players will also need to use each of the powers, earn gem boosts, deposit relics, bank Wumpa Fruit, knock out enemies, and equip some of the unlockable gear. The trophy that appears to take the longest is the “Playing Favorites” trophy which requires players to reach the level cap with any of the heroes, as it’s the only trophy players have yet to unlock according to PSNProfiles. You can see the full Crash Team Rumble trophy list below.

• Master – Get every trophy.
• Heavyweight Champ – KO 10 enemies in a single Competitive match.
• Fruits of Your Labor – Bank 1200 Wumpa in a single Competitive match.
• Dominator – Earn 100% Gem boost for your team in a single Competitive match.
• N. Sanely Strong – KO 5 enemies in a single Competitive match without being knocked out yourself.
• Fruitful – Bank 300 Wumpa in one drop-off in a Competitive match.
• Teamwork for the Win – Ping your team’s drop-off when within 200 Wumpa of winning in a Competitive match
• Contender – KO 5 enemies in a single Competitive match.
• Nature’s Candy – Bank 800 Wumpa in a single Competitive match.
• Super Booster – Earn 50% Gem boost for your team in a single Competitive match.
• Playing Favorites – Reach level cap with any hero.
• Tutorial Complete – Successfully complete the tutorial
• Rookie No More – Reach level 2 in any season.
• Put a Lid on It – Equip any hat.
• Pack It In – Equip any backpack.
• To the Nines – Equip any custom gear.
• No Pain, No Gain – Get knocked out in a Competitive match.
• Knockout – KO an enemy in a Competitive match.
• When Life Gives You Wumpa… – Bank 500 Wumpa in a single Competitive match.
• Go Forth and Multiply – Earn 20% Gem boost for your team in a single Competitive match.
• Deep Pockets – Deposit 25 or more Relics at Relic Stations in a single Competitive match.
• Epic Epic Epic – Activate an Epic Relic Station in a Competitive match.
• Trashy – Win a Competitive match with Garbage Dump as the equipped power.
• Shutdown! – Win a Competitive match with Power Drain as the equipped power.
• Onwards and Upwards – Win a Competitive match with Bounce Crates as the equipped power.
• Extraterrestrial Bodyguard – Win a Competitive match with Gasmoxian Guard as the equipped power.
• Fiscally Responsible – Win a Competitive match with Wumpa Stash as the equipped power.
• Victory Feast – Win a Competitive match with Healing Fridge as the equipped power.
• Spit Take – Win a Competitive match with Flytrap Spitter as the equipped power.
• Crash Tested – Win a Competitive match as Crash.
• Cuckoo for Coco – Win a Competitive match as Coco.
• Kickin’ It – Win a Competitive match as Tawna.
• Diled In – Win a Competitive match as Dingodile.
• I Am Cortex, Hear Me Roar – Win a Competitive match as Dr. Neo Cortex.
• Ooze Your Way to Victory – Win a Competitive match as N. Brio.
• N. Trophy – Win a Competitive match as N. Tropy.
• Unflappable – Win a Competitive match as Catbat.
• Second Helping of Paincakes – As Crash, flatten 2 enemies at once with a Slam or Super Slam in a Competitive match.
• Off The Wall – As Coco, hit 20 enemies with Quantum Walls in a single Competitive match.
• Up to No Good – As Tawna, in a Competitive match, Uppercut an enemy then KO them before they land.
• Spin to Win – As Dingodile, knock back 3 enemies in a single charged Tailwhip in a Competitive match.
• Transformative – As Dr. Neo Cortex, transform all enemies in a single Competitive match.
• In the Nick of Slime – As N. Brio, use a Slime Monster to stop a Gem capture at the last second in a Competitive match.
• Burger Time – As Catbat, heal all allies in a single Competitive match.
• Pest Control – As N. Tropy, hit 3 enemies with a single Gravity Slam in a Competitive match.

The Crash games have had Platinums that have pushed players in the past. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and the remaster of the first title in the N. Sane Trilogy are the two sticking points for many players, given the extreme completion requirements for both (especially the former). Crash Team Racing was the only game to have multiplayer, but its trophy list, while requiring completion in many aspects, was mostly a solo affair.

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Crash Team Rumble Season 1 will launch with the game later this month.

A newly revealed roadmap reveals two new heroes for the season: Ripper Roo and N. Gin. The roadmap also explained what players can expect from the game at launch.

Crash Team Rumble Season 1 roadmap also shows a new map and power

Crash Team Rumble Season 1 will introduce a new map called Bogged Down, which is set in the midst of a misty swamp. It will also introduce a TNT Sticky Bomb power, with Ripper Roo and N.Gin as the two new heroes.

These were briefly shown during the gameplay launch trailer. The trailer also indicated seasons will continue to introduce new limited-time game modes and special events.

The season will run from June 20 until September 11, although neither Toys for Bob nor Activision Blizzard specified whether the content will be available at the start of the season. However, they have said that the Battle Pass is not required to unlock new characters. The two new heroes will likely be available to earn through Season 1’s in-game challenges.

When the game launches on June 20, it will include eight heroes who specialize in scoring, blocking, or boosting. The image shows four maps and four powers, but does come with the promise of “more” of each. Season 2 was also briefly mentioned and will come with new maps, heroes, and powers just like Season 1. Those who purchase the standard edition of the game will automatically get the Season 1 Premium Battle Pass, while those who pluck for the Deluxe Edition will get access to the Premium Battle Pass for both Season 1 and 2.

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Toys for Bob and Activision Blizzard debuted the cinematic intro for Crash Team Rumble yesterday, but while the developer had implied the video was made by Sony Pictures Animation, this isn’t the case. It seems like the developer was pushing for consideration of a Crash Bandicoot movie instead.

Crash Team Rumble takes fruit collecting to a whole new level

The cinematic intro shows two teams of four characters attempting to gather Wumpa Fruit, but it’s not as simple as picking it from a tree or bush. Wumpa Fruit is found in crates liberally scattered across the map, but it can also seemingly be stolen by beating up opposing players and taking their loot. There’s even a glimpse of the powers of Uka Uka.

Thailand-based RiFF Studio has done a great job of introducing players to the spirit of the game in the cinematic that they created. If that’s got you in the mood to start thinking about strategies before the game is released in June, take a look at the tips and tricks from Toys for Bob.

In more disappointing news, Sony Pictures Animation hasn’t commented on Toys For Bob’s original tweet so we’re yet to find out whether there will be Crash Bandicoot movie.

The post Crash Team Rumble Cinematic Intro Video Not Made By Sony appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Developer Toys for Bob has detailed some must-know Crash Team Rumble tips that players will want to know ahead of the closed beta. With the beta launching at 10 AM PT on April 20 (today, at the time of writing), there isn’t much time for players to ingest the hints.

Crash Team Rumble tips and tricks

• Boosts are stackable depending on what map you’re on
  • Gem pads boost your score, but there is huge boost potential by capturing all of the gem pad clusters on one map. 
  • Pro Tip: Be sure you and your team collects and banks as much Wumpa as possible while the boost is active, to fully benefit from the boost. 
• Fighting is only a means to an end: scoring is what counts
  • The name of the game is scoring – so defense is just as important as offense.
  • Victory is a much harder task without a blocker. The blocker’s main goal is to prevent the other team from scoring at their Wumpa bank. How can a team win if they can’t bank their Wumpa?!
  • Pro Tip: The Gasmoxian Guard is a blocker’s best friend. Blocker’s should have their Gasmoxian Guard set up camp at the other team’s Wumpa bank, making it extremely difficult for the other team to score. 
• Relic Stations can swing the match
  • If a game is close, the Relic Station can make all the difference – rolling over enemies, catapulting around a map, and more. 
  • Pro Tip: Collect as many relics as possible early to use on epic stations for game changing results later in the match when it becomes more crucial.
• Use the whole map
  • Don’t be afraid to explore and see what’s available in all of the corners of the map.
  • Pro Tip: Don’t forget to explore the map vertically. Check out the views from a higher point, you never know, you may find a new way to help your team from a bird’s eye perspective.
• Your hero’s powers matter
  • Specific powers can take roles to the next level, choose wisely. Some powers are meant to compliment a hero – ie. golden Wumpa for a scorer, Gasmoxian Guard for a blocker, etc.
  • Pro Tip: Placement of a power can make all the difference, be strategic.

Following its reveal during The Game Awards four months ago, passionate Crash Bandicoot fans have no doubt been wondering what exactly Team Rumble is all about. Well, with a beta soon to be available, they will shortly be able to find out.

Wondering if Crash Team Rumble is any good and not interested in playing the closed beta to find out? Well, you can read our early hands-on impressions here.

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