Amid Shutdown Rumors, Crash 4 Dev Toys For Bob Is Going Independent

Toys For Bob, the developer behind Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, has announced that it is going independent. This comes a few months after it was acquired by Microsoft as part of the Activision Blizzard acquisition and in the wake of massive layoffs at Xbox.

Announced in a blog post, Toys For Bob is becoming an independent studio, spinning out from underneath Microsoft. While there are no details about what sort of deal was made to gain independence, the blog post does state that Toys For Bob is currently in talks to partner with Microsoft on future projects. The blog post also reveals that Toys For Bob is in the early stages of developing its next game, although it's not clear if it will be a new IP.

"And while we’re in the early days of developing our next new game and a ways away from making any announcements, our team is excited to develop new stories, new characters, and new gameplay experiences," the studio said in the post.

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, 86 employees were laid off from Toys For Bob as part of Microsoft's 10,000 layoffs in January. It was also reported that the studio's office was closed, moving those remaining to remote work. Prior to its work on Crash Bandicoot, Toys For Bob was best known for the Skylanders series. In recent years, it has primarily worked as a support studio for Call of Duty.

Toys For Bob might not be the only studio gaining independence, as recent reports suggest that both Saber Interactive and Gearbox might be sold by Embracer Group in the coming weeks.