Overview
- Toys for Bob completed a buyout in 2024 to become an independent studio so it could regain creative, organizational and financial control.
- Studio head Paul Yan says the move followed years of being shifted into support roles on large shooters, which pushed the team away from the character-driven platformers it prefers.
- Microsoft’s 2023 acquisition of Activision and the companywide reorganizations and layoffs in 2024 helped create the window for Toys for Bob to propose and execute the spinout.
- The studio revealed Spyro: A Realm Beyond at this month’s Xbox showcase and confirmed a spring 2027 release across PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and Switch 2 under an Xbox publishing agreement.
- Toys for Bob credits strong sales of Spyro: Reignited Trilogy (over 11 million copies) and persistent fan demand for making the new game viable and says it hopes this marks the return of character-led platformers.