Toys for Bob officially left Activision in 2024 to become an independent studio focused on original projects like the new Spyro game, Spyro: A Realm Beyond [1]. The studio head Paul Yan said the buyout process took "many mini miracles" but allowed the studio to regain creative, organizational, and financial control [2, 1].
After 2021, Toys for Bob had been redirected by a corporate mandate to support large Activision projects such as Call of Duty: Warzone and Overwatch 2, moving away from their traditional fantasy platformer games [2, 1]. Yan explained, "There was a corporate mandate for us to move and support larger initiatives... and we're very proud of the work that we did" [2]. However, the shift "was not the right fit for their creative passions" [2, 1].
The 2023 Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard triggered major company changes, including layoffs affecting 1,900 people across the company and 86 staff at Toys for Bob in 2024 [2]. With the "amount of change that was on the horizon," Toys for Bob decided it was the right time to regain independence. Yan said, "We put forth a plan that said 'hey, we'd like to buy back our independence and take back creative control... and spin out as a separate company in order to focus on the kinds of games we love'" [2].
Toys for Bob is recognized for its original Spyro series, the Skylanders franchise, and work on Crash Bandicoot games [1]. The Spyro: Reignited Trilogy sold 11 million units, highlighting the franchise's strong fan base [2]. The studio announced the new Spyro game at June's 2026 Xbox Games Showcase as an independent company [2].
Yan noted the buyout aimed to preserve the long-tenured, tight-knit team by refocusing on the types of platformer games the studio is best known for [1]. The next expected milestone is further developments and updates on Spyro: A Realm Beyond as the studio focuses fully on original content.
