What you need to know
Toys for Bob is the developer of the celebrated game Crash Bandicoot 4: It s About Time.
Activision now has Toys for Bob working on Call of Duty: Warzone development.
Various Toys for Bob talent has reportedly been let go.
Update April 30, 2021 at 2:37 pm ET: Activision has provided the following statement.
Reports of layoffs at Toys For Bob are incorrect. There has not been a reduction in personnel recently at the studio. The development team is operating fully and has a number of full-time job openings at this time. The studio is excited to continue supporting Crash Bandicoot 4: It s About Time, and more recently provide additional development support to Call of Duty: Warzone.
Call of Duty: Warzone amid rumors of layoffs at the Activision-owned studio.
In a tweet posted yesterday, the studio said it will be assisting with development on Season 3 of
Call of Duty: Warzone, with the popular free-to-play battle royale mode having recently passed 100 million players. It s currently unclear if this will be the studio s main role moving forward.
The change is direction has raised questions over the current state and future of the studio, which has previously worked on remakes and sequels to classic Activision franchises including Spyro Reignited Trilogy,
Crash Bandicoot 4.
Some former employees and contractors have indicated the pivot came at the cost of layoffs. Nicholas Kole, who worked as a contract character artist on
It s the end of an era. Updated on 30 April 2021
Activision has put Crash Bandicoot 4 developer Toys for Bob on Call of Duty: Warzone development duty.
A tweet from the official Toys for Bob Twitter account said the studio was proud to support development for Season 3 of Call of Duty Warzone, and look forward to more to come.
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However, California-based Toys for Bob appears to have suffered staff exits as part of this shift. Character designer and illustrator Nicholas Kole, who worked at Toys for Bob up to January on Crash Bandicoot 4 and, before that, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, tweeted: it s the end of an era, but I wish my former coworkers still with TFB all the best with what s ahead!
Call of Duty: Warzone amid rumors of layoffs at the Activision-owned studio.
In a tweet posted yesterday, the studio said it will be assisting with development on Season 3 of
Call of Duty: Warzone, with the popular free-to-play battle royale mode having recently passed 100 million players. It s currently unclear if this will be the studio s main role moving forward.
The change is direction has raised questions over the current state and future of the studio, which has previously worked on remakes and sequels to classic Activision franchises including Spyro Reignited Trilogy,
Crash Bandicoot 4.
Some former employees and contractors have indicated the pivot came at the cost of layoffs. Nicholas Kole, who worked as a contract character artist on
Copy
Call of Duty: Warzone apparently requires all hands on deck for its third season and as such, developer Toys for Bob will now be assisting content development for the battle royale mayhem.
Taking to Twitter earlier today, Toys for Bob announced that it was “proud to support development” for the third season of Warzone and that fans should “look forward to more to come” in the near future.
Toys for Bob is proud to support development for Season 3 of Call of Duty #Warzone, and look forward to more to come. #LETSGO dev squads! #Verdansk84pic.twitter.com/ERmFSWeaIk
The announcement however has birthed a few concerns. Toys for Bob helmed not only the Spyro Reignited Trilogy but also Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. With publisher Activision assigning the studio to the Call of Duty franchise, questions are being raised on the future of the Crash and Spyro franchises.