Toys for Bob, the game studio behind Skylanders, is going independent from Microsoft

Microsoft has decided to divest the Toys for Bob video-game studio, which is the creator behind the highly popular Skylanders titles. The game studio also announced that this move will not affect it, as it is planning to go independent.

In a blog post, Toys for Bob says that a partnership with Microsoft will still be possible, under their new independent status, and they’re planning to work on their new game, with new announcements being released very soon.

The video game studio only has words of praise for Activision, and Microsoft, and it seems the two companies were supportive of Toys for Bob going independent.

Below is the full announcement:

We’re thrilled to announce that Toys for Bob is spinning off as an independent game development studio!

Over the years, we’ve inspired love, joy, and laughter for the inner child in all gamers. We pioneered new IP and hardware technologies in Skylanders. We raised the bar for best-in-class remasters in Spyro Reignited Trilogy. We’ve taken Crash Bandicoot to innovative, critically acclaimed new heights.

With the same enthusiasm and passion, we believe that now is the time to take the studio and our future games to the next level. This opportunity allows us to return to our roots of being a small and nimble studio.

To make this news even more exciting, we’re exploring a possible partnership between our new studio and Microsoft. And while we’re in the early days of developing our next new game and a ways away from making any announcements, our team is excited to develop new stories, new characters, and new gameplay experiences.

Our friends at Activision and Microsoft have been extremely supportive of our new direction and we’re confident that we will continue to work closely together as part of our future.  

So, keep your horns on and your eyes out for more news. Thank you to our community of players for always supporting us through our journey. We can’t wait to share updates on our new adventure as an indie studio!  

Talk to you soon!

Toys for Bob

The now-independent video game studio somehow struggled to exist under the new Microsoft gaming department, after the gigantic acquisition of the Activision Blizzard King later last year. Back in January, Microsoft laid off thousands of positions across its gaming departments, and Toys for Bob was also impacted and affected by it.

However, now that Toys for Bob is no longer tied to Microsoft, the studio can develop video games at its own pace without the worries and constraints of a larger corporation.