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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U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to “unwind” Microsoft‘s purchase of Activision Blizzard after the Xbox maker announced mass layoffs across its gaming division yesterday. Activision Blizzard faced most of the brunt, with Blizzard’s survival game canceled and entire teams wiped out across the publisher.

Activision Blizzard layoffs described as a “bloodbath” by affected employees

Senator Warren took to Twitter to criticize the downsizing, reminding followers of her previous warnings against the merger. “I warned that this deal would hurt workers,” she wrote. “These layoffs are a stark reminder that corporate mergers are bad for workers. The FTC should keep up the fight to unwind this merger.”

Activision Blizzard employees have described the layoffs as a “bloodbath” on social media. Reports have emerged that Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer Games has lost more than a quarter of its employees. CharlieINTEL puts the percentage of Sledgehammer layoffs at 25% whereas Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming has heard it’s somewhat close to 30%.

Although the merger has closed, the FTC is continuing its investigation into the deal, and hopes to convince courts that Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard is bad for competition and consumer choice.

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Season 1 Reloaded launches for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone. The update goes live on January 17 and introduces new weapons, modes, and events, a new map, and more.

Sledgehammer Games’ Modern Warfare III is getting a new 6v6 map that sees operators facing off in an upscale shopping center in downtown Rio. Developers are also introducing a new ranked 4v4 modes using Call of Duty League rules. Modern Warfare III players can also earn in-game rewards by participating in The Boys: Supe Siege Event Challenge. Players who complete all six objectives unlock “The Boys Special” LMG Weapon Blueprint.

Call of Duty getting new modes, weapons, maps, and more

Additionally, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III players can also try out the new Headquarters, Infected, and Team Gunfight multiplayer modes. As explained in a blog post, Headquarters tasks players with securing and defending a series of locations to accrue points. Infected matches begin with one Infected Operator, who must kill and transform the other players into more Infected Operators. Finally, Team Gunfight is a 6v6 version of the existing 2v2 Gunfight mode.

Meanwhile, Call of Duty: Warzone players can attempt the Champion Quest and Gulag Night Vision Public event. The first is a multi-part challenge on the Urzikstan map, while the second is a night-vision battle in a darkened Gulag. Warzone players can also find a new Weapon Case in Battle Royale, and an alternate win condition called Covert Exit.

Call of Duty: Zombies players also have a new Warlord to contend with. South Korean–born Dokkaebi is an expert in electronic warfare and commands a fleet of autonomous drones. Her headquarters is on top of a skyscraper in Zaravan City, though reaching and defeating her will be a serious challenge.

Finally, Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare III’s two new weapons are the HRM-9 submachine gun and TAQ Evolvere light machine gun. The 9mm HRM-9 excels in close quarters, and players can modify it for improved midrange effectiveness. The TAQ, on the other hand, is a powerful and versatile belt-fed machine gun with a wide range of attachments. Players can unlock the HRM-9 by completing an Armory Challenge and the TAQ Evolvere by completing a Weekly Challenge.

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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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With the holiday season getting into the swing of things, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is joining the fun with a new CODMAS event that begins today. The limited-time event will include themed in-game activities and maps for Multiplayer and Zombies modes, as well as Call of Duty: Warzone 2.

Santa Gnaws brings Santa’s Slayground to Call of Duty

The Santa’s Slayground in-game event takes place across Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone 2. Eight challenges will reward players with consumable items and cosmetics upon their completion, like the “Christmas Skulls” Calling Card, the “Elfsecution” Finishing Move, and the Weapon Blueprint/Operator Skin.

Two multiplayer maps will be getting festive reskins. Shipment is thrown into a snowstorm in the middle of a frozen sea to create the Shipmas holiday map. Meanwhile, Highrise hosts a New Year’s party complete with festive lights, snowmen, and a dance floor to become Hangover for a limited time.

Infectious Holiday is the first themed limited-time game mode where all players are Santa Claus Operators in a match of Infected. Those who become infected will transform into Zombie Santa. Elsewhere, Gunfight has turned into Snowfight where the first two rounds are decided by a snowball fight. The third round features regular Loadouts but still has snowballs to be looted.

Not to be left out, Zombies mode will get new seasonal enemy models, including Mega Abominations with Santa hats. There will also be updated infiltration music and the mode’s own version of deadly snowballs.

Warzone 2 gets a limited-time Slay Ride Resurgence Playlist with two game modes. The first is Slay Ride, where players board a train traveling through Urzikstan to take on Santa and his evil minions. Those who succeed will get an Emblem and “powerful” in-game loot. The second mode is Slay Ride Resurgence with six Deck the Halls tree-themed capture points. Players begin the game with high-tier gear and those who manage to stand near the trees with no opponents nearby will start to decorate them. The more a tree is decorated, the higher the value of the weapons, Killstreaks, and in-game Cash.

The CODMAS event is live right now and will run until 8 AM PT on January 3.

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Documents leaked by Insomniac Games’ hackers have revealed that Sony feels threatened by Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This in stark contrast to an email penned by outgoing PlayStation boss Jim Ryan when the merger was first announced, in which he expressed that the acquisition isn’t a threat to Sony.

Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard will position the company to “leapfrog” Sony

A presentation obtained by Insomniac Games’ hackers states that the Microsoft-Activision merger will not only “disrupt” the industry, it’ll also position Microsoft to “leapfrog” Sony in the games division. Sony also took note of Microsoft’s attempt to build a mobile gaming business with King games in its portfolio.

Sony acknowledges the “incredible strategic value” of Activision games especially in the live service arena, and specifically mentions the threat of losing Call of Duty to Microsoft. One of the disruptions that Sony is worried about is the “shift from PlayStation to Xbox with timing and in-game differential as the weapons.”

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has pledged to release Call of Duty day-and-date on PlayStation consoles for at least the next 10 years, and without any content differences. It’s unclear if this presentation predates the contract Sony signed with Microsoft or not.

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Hogwarts Legacy sales may just end up breaking Call of Duty‘s annual sales record in the U.S., according to data shared by Circana. As of the end of November, the Avalanche Software title remains the best-selling game in the U.S. despite being a single-player title with no DLC available at present. Call of Duty has long held the record for being the best-selling game in the region and remains the most popular premium multiplayer title.

Can Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III sales overtake Hogwarts Legacy before the end of December?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was released in November to poor critic reviews and lots of criticisms by players, but it instantly became the second best-selling game of 2023. Data shared by Circana’s Mat Piscatella also shows that Nintendo exclusive The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is now the third best-selling game of the year in the U.S., and PS5 exclusive Spider-Man 2 retained its fourth position year-to-date.

With December’s market yet to close, it remains to be seen if Hogwarts Legacy will actually break Call of Duty’s record or not. But that a single-player game is on par with the most popular multiplayer shooter around the globe is quite a feat.

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Activision has announced a free multiplayer trial for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Players across all platforms can check out a variety of maps, modes, and Season 1 content between December 14 and December 18.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer free trial details

The free trial will begin at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on December 14 and end at the same time on December 18. The full list of content that players can access is as follows:

• 6v6 Core Maps: Terminal, Rust, Highrise, Shipment, Afghan, Meat.
• Ground War Maps: Popov Power, Orlov Military Base, Levin Resort.
• Core Modes: Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Domination, Kill Confirmed, Ground War, War.
• Playlists: Rustment 24/7 (Shipment and Rust), War Mode, 6v6 Moshpit (featuring Highrise, Meat, Afghan, Terminal), Ground War, Modern Warfare Zombies.

Meat is a new map introduced in Season 1. Activision describes it as “a compact slaughterhouse located in California’s Port of Oakland.” “Battle in close quarters through the meat locker and processing plant or extend the fight into the midrange by taking to the outer loading dock and parking lot,” reads an official description.

Activision says an additional download is required to access the free trial. Head over to the PlayStation Store when the trial goes live.

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Several Call of Duty developers have backtracked after initially criticizing Kratos actor Christopher Judge’s joke about Modern Warfare 3‘s campaign length at The Game Awards 2023. Judge had joked — to audible gasps from the audience — that his TGA 2022 speech was longer than Modern Warfare 3’s campaign.

Chris Judge’s Modern Warfare 3 campaign joke resulted in devs attacking God of War

Two of the three dev tweets that went viral in response to Judge’s joke attacked God of War games, with one dev claiming that “CoD absolutely destroys all of the God of war games probably combined” and another tweeting “Imagine having short user engagement once your game is consumed.” A third developer simply said that they didn’t expect Judge to make such a comment knowing the crunch Modern Warfare III team went through.

The tweets garnered a lot of criticism from fans, following which they were scrubbed. One of the developers apologized to Judge, stating that “there’s a good chance that those words were not his.” Another developer stated that they were “joking” about God of War’s engagement, while a third stated that they have “no hate” for the Santa Monica Studio franchise.

You can see Judge’s original comments in the clip below around the 1:10 mark.

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