Crash 5 and Phoenix Labs Project Reportedly Canceled

Highlights

• According to a developer who worked on both games, Crash Bandicoot 5 and Project Dragon have been canceled, leaving fans heartbroken.
• The developer, Nicholas Kole, says that fans will be disappointed when they eventually learn about the “Crash 5 that never was.”
• Additionally, Project Dragon’s status as a blocky crafting game could have made it a hit with Minecraft fan’s, but the team that developed it made multiple failed attempts to save it.

Based on a recent statement from a former character designer and illustrator of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, a Crash Bandicoot 5 project has been canceled behind closed doors. Additionally, a game known as Project Dragon has been canceled by Phoenix Labs, which would have been a brand-new IP from the studio. The announcement of these cancelations is incredibly heartbreaking news, especially for Crash Bandicoot fans.

The Crash Bandicoot franchise has been through some troubled ups and downs in the past decade. The Crash Bandicoot remake trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time were seen as great returns to form, with the latter game being the first continuation of the franchise since 2008’s Crash: Mind over Mutant. It was praised for its story and a fresh take on the series’ classic platforming gameplay, but despite the praise it received, the Crash Bandicoot franchise struggled once again following the release of Crash Team Rumble. Following Toys for Bob’s split from Activision, some believed that Crash and Spyro could get a chance to shine again. Unfortunately, it appears one attempt at Crash 5 is no longer in the works.

These details were shared in a lengthy Twitter thread by Nicholas Kole, an illustrator and character designer who worked on Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. He revealed that a project that they were working on for the past three years was canned, and any attempts at saving it failed. The game was called “Project Dragon,” which confused some people who thought he was referring to a potential new Spyro game. Kole then clarified it wasn’t, but led into the reveal that Crash 5 was also canceled at some point.

Project Dragon and Crash Bandicoot 5 Were Canceled, According to Nicholas Cole

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The potential confusion possibly stems from how Toys for Bob reached an agreement with Xbox for a new game earlier this year, which led to people speculating that it would have been for the Spyro or Crash Bandicoot franchises. Kole confirms that the projects were two different things at two different studios, but notes that “folks will hear about the Crash 5 that never was and it’s gonna break hearts.”

The project canceled at Phoenix Labs was also revealed by Kole on Twitter, who shared that it would have been a cozy survival crafting multiplayer RPG, which presumably had a focus on dragons. It was inspired by Minecraft in terms of its blocky nature and inspired by Zelda: Breath of the Wild in terms of its quest structure. This game didn’t have a name beyond its Project Dragon codename, but many lamented the cancelations of both projects Kole had worked on.