Hey there, fellow ‘90s kid! If you grew up loving classic platformers like I did, no doubt the early Crash Bandicoot games hold a special place in your heart. We followed this wacky marsupial through all sorts of zany adventures back in Crash‘s heyday during the PlayStation 1 era.
Developer Naughty Dog struck gold when they debuted Crash in 1996, with its tight controls, vibrant levels, and offbeat sense of humor. Crash quickly became the must-have mascot to rival Mario and Sonic at the peak of the platforming genre. Just take a look at these sales numbers:
| Game | Release Year | Copies Sold |
|---|---|---|
| Crash Bandicoot | 1996 | 6.8 million |
| Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back | 1997 | 8 million |
| Crash Bandicoot: Warped | 1998 | 5.7 million |
But after Naughty Dog moved on and different developers took over later titles, Crash sadly fell out of relevance in the gaming landscape by the late 2000s. His glory days seemed to have passed him by.
That all changed when the Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy remasters surprised everyone by selling over 10 million units after launching in 2017. And last year‘s brand new sequel, Crash Bandicoot 4: It‘s About Time, earned praise from critics and fans for returning to the original games‘ principles. Check out Crash 4‘s scores across platforms:
| Platform | Metacritic Score |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 4 | 85 |
| Xbox One | 86 |
| Nintendo Switch | 87 |
| PC | 86 |
Now, exciting leaks suggest developer Toys for Bob and publisher Activision might have two more Crash Bandicoot projects ramping up behind the scenes! As a long-time Crash aficionado, I‘m here to break down everything we know about these potential new games.
The Curious Case of "Wumpa League"
The most solid clue comes straight from Activision itself. When announcing Crash 4‘s upcoming PC port, they sent popular YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh a Crash-themed pizza with a very peculiar receipt…
This "Wumpa Pizza" entry priced at $12.08 lines up perfectly with long-standing rumors of a multiplayer-focused Crash spin-off titled Wumpa League. And it can‘t be coincidence that date translates to December 8th — the exact same day as 2021‘s The Game Awards. Known for its splashy world premieres, this show seems primed for Wumpa League‘s official reveal.
Sources describe Wumpa League as a 4-player brawler, which would mark a radical shift for the traditionally single-player focused Crash series. Moving the action to an arena environment opens up tremendous gameplay variety. We could see modes ranging from last marsupial standing to team-based capture the flag!
Competition in the platform brawler space has also heated up lately with the success of games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate. So the timing is right for Activision to throw Crash‘s hat into the ring.
Industry analyst firm DFC Intelligence forecasts "huge upside potential" for multiplayer-driven arcade experiences on consoles over the next few years. They estimate the genre could see 25% year-over-year growth through 2025.
Decoding Devious Tweets
Developer Toys for Bob has also dropped hints recently about filling their office wall with new games. After they jokingly asked fans to name all the studio‘s previous titles, Crash and Spyro supporters came out in force demanding new entries for both series.
Toys for Bob soon tweeted it was "good thing we have space on our wall for more!" Now this could simply refer to the Crash 4 DLC they already announced. But read between the lines here — Toys for Bob is clearly leaving the door open for more full-fledged sequels!
Despite some team members shifting to Call of Duty projects, Toys for Bob has kept engaging with Crash fans since Crash 4‘s launch. Explicitly referencing Crash and Skylanders as two of their babies.
So Toys for Bob returning to evolve the Crash formula with a hypothetical Crash Bandicoot 5 makes perfect sense as their next move after DLC wraps.
Cautious Optimism Still Required
Far less substantiated rumors floating around online also mention a potential fifth numerical Crash entry in early development. I‘d take these with a massive grain of salt for now without corroborating evidence though.
In closing, while nothing has been set in stone yet, the prospects of not just one but two new Crash Bandicoot games seem brighter than ever!
Between the sneaky Wumpa League breadcrumbs and mounting clues from Toys for Bob‘s Twitter activity, Activision would be smart to strike while the iron‘s hot after Crash 4‘s triumphant success. Their stealth marketing campaign for a December 8th announcement suggests they know exactly what classic mascot franchise fans are hungry for.
These leaks certainly have me giddy with nostalgic excitement! But we all remember what happens when ambitious games get overhyped too early, right? Keeping expectations realistic until official confirmation drops is definitely the wise move here.
Still, I remain cautiously optimistic that our dear old pal Crash still has bright days ahead. Maybe Activision will finally reward the bandicoot‘s faithful fans with two new titles to usher in his long-awaited comeback! Guess all we can do is wait and see what gets unwrapped at that December 8th showcase…
Let me know what you think down below! Would you play a multiplayer Crash game like Wumpa League? And what would you want from a potential Crash Bandicoot 5?