It’s common practice across pop culture for some kind of release to link alongside a major anniversary of a legendary product. For example, this year is the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park, and there’s going to be a whole wave of products for that from Lego, Mattel, and presumably in Jurassic World Evolution 2.
As it stands, however, one of the most beloved former tent poles of the gaming industry looks to be ignored on their 25th anniversary. In September 1998, Spyro the Dragon launched on the PlayStation and proved to be hugely popular, weighing in alongside Crash Bandicoot – who is Spyro’s senior by two years.
In 2018, we did get the Reignited Trilogy of original game remakes for Spyro, but those were expected to kick the series back into modern circles, much like the N. Sane Trilogy did for Crash in 2017 before Nitro-Fueled, Crash Bandicoot 4, the 25th anniversary-celebrating mobile game On the Run, and soon Crash Team Rumble.
Spyro doesn’t even look to be getting a mobile game in 2023.
A legend of gaming deserving of more
While the attempted spinoff into the Skylanders series didn’t pan out too well in the end, Spyro the Dragon remains an icon of gaming and much-loved by those who are now primary target consumers whose first gaming experiences were on the PlayStation. The nostalgia is very strong for this classic character.
You only have to look at what’s happening across gaming entertainment in Spyro’s absence to see how new creatives are still driven by the legendary character. At The Clubhouse Casino, there’s a distinctly familiar character in the slot game Drago: Jewels of Fortune. With a yellow underbelly, yellow horns, and purple scales, it’s clear to see what inspired Drago, while the win multiplier and 1,600 ways make it appealing to slot spinners and gamers alike.
While it’s not yet been released, there’s also been a lot of interest in the game Glyde The Dragon. It clearly draws inspiration from Spyro with its bright environments and European-style small dragon. Speaking in an interview with Escapist Magazine, project lead Martin Hernik noted the similarities between Glyde and Spyro, but emphasized that the two titles will be very different as there’s so much space for a dragon protagonist. For some Spyro action now, some players have modded the dragon into the indie hit Stray.
What’s happening with Spyro now?
There were rumors that a new Spyro game was in development in 2020, but those have either been quashed or realized to be untrue in the years since. The team that worked on the Reignited Trilogy and the Crash games, Toys for Bob, is now at work on Crash Team Rumble. So, it seems unlikely that a new Spyro game is currently in development.
A big problem that’s been circling its current IP holders, Activision, is that they are in the midst of being acquired by Microsoft. While big-hit franchises like Call of Duty and Overwatch will naturally carry on during this process, it’s not the best time to get going on essentially a new game series.
Microsoft may yet struggle to get the deal over the line. The UK, EU, and some US states have called into question if the $69 billion acquisition should go through due to antitrust laws. Call of Duty is such a big seller that making it exclusive to Xbox could give them undue power over the market. That said, Microsoft appears to be swinging the committees in its favor, predominantly by making a deal with Niantic and Nvidia to deliver Call of Duty.
While there may be a sneaky little mobile game or even a major announcement planned for later in the year, it looks as though Spyro is currently being left in limbo.
Comments