Crash And Spyro Developer Reportedly Loses 40 Percent Of Staff In Layoffs

So, there's pretty much a new Sea Dogs game, but first I have a lot of context to share. If you'd rather not indulge in the long and confusing history of a cult classic pirate series, just scroll down until just after the picture of some pirates in front of a ship and that'll take you straight to the point.

Over the past few weeks, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon fans have been nervously awaiting news regarding developer Toys for Bob. A new report earlier this month claimed that the studio had closed its offices, leading many to believe Toys for Bob was about to be shut down completely after being hit hard by Microsoft's recent layoffs that saw 1,900 people lose their jobs.

A trio of Xbox exclusives are reportedly on their way to other platforms, including PS5, as part of a change in Microsoft's business strategy which will be announced later this week.

Deathloop and Dishonored's developers aren't fans of yellow paint and, instead, use a variety of alternative methods to ensure that player doesn't get lost. 

Layoffs have been reported at Toys for Bob, the developer behind Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and the Spyro: Reignited Trilogy. They form part of the ongoing consolidation efforts necessitated by parent company Activision's acquisition by Microsoft, resulting in 1900 roles being made redundant. Some 86 workers have been let go, and the studio's office shuttered. Contrary to some earlier confusion, that's the physical address; Toys for Bob will remain active, and most remaining employees will now work remotely.

Cavern of Dreams, a self-styled N64-inspired 3D platformer that we previously likened to a Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro spiritual successor, is getting a much-needed Nintendo Switch release on February 29.

Helldivers 2 has gotten a new update on PC, hoping to fix many of the crashes that players have been facing, as well as bringing improvements to the game’s online matchmaking. The update, out now on PC, will be coming to the PS5 version of Helldivers 2 at a later date.

Activision execs offered Infinity Ward staff a 50 percent pay increase and told staff to «take the money and get over it» after the publisher dramatically fired the developer's founders Jason West and Vince Zampella in 2010.

Visual Concepts Austin, the 2K Games studio behind sports franchises including WWE and NBA, as well as last year’s kart racing game Lego 2K Drive, has reportedly laid off a number of employees. The cuts come fewer than six months after the last round of layoffs at the Texas outlet.

Arrowhead Game Studios’ highly anticipated third-person shooter Helldivers 2 has received its first patch on PC to improve matchmaking and iron out some crashes, but the devs have admitted that “we know there’s more to solve.”

Activision Blizzard's Crash Bandicoot and Spyro studio Toys for Bob lose 86 employees as a result of layoffs.

A live service game’s mere existence seems to go hand-in-hand with skepticism, especially where consistent and satisfactory post-launch support is concerned, and when the live service game in question is Skull and Bones, you can bet your bottom dollar that skepticism is going to be even more intense. The game has had enough trouble getting to launch as it is, being waylaid by everything from development issues and reboots to delays and more, so exactly how well is Ubisoft going to be able to support the game and ensure that it can maintain the sort of player base any live service game needs in order to continue justifying its existence.