Activision could hand Call of Duty devs to other franchises
The Call of Duty developer studios could be shrinking, as the publisher is looking to expand in its cousin universes like Crash Bandicoot.
23rd Jun 2023 11:40
Images via Activision
Activision could hand Call of Duty devs to other franchises
The Call of Duty developer studios could be shrinking, as the publisher is looking to expand in its cousin universes like Crash Bandicoot.
23rd Jun 2023 11:40
Images via Activision
The Call of Duty franchise has a massive list of developer studios, all operating under the Actvision banner, churning out annual releases, and keeping the shooter genre moving forward.
But as the publisher continues to juggle some massive releases in its other franchises, it seems like Call of Duty might be the game that gets their support chopped down.
Amid the release of Diablo 4 and Crash Team Rumble, Activision is lending out the Call of Duty developers to other series, and it could continue to.
CoD Studio Toys for Bob will continue expanding the Crash Bandicoot universe
Activision's bolster of the Microsoft studios has been firmly put on hold with the merger being blocked by the UK CMA and United States FTC. Still, it remains one of the biggest parent companies for developer subsidiaries, housing the likes of Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Blizzard Entertainment, King, and more.
One of these studios is Toys for Bob, which joined the Activision roster in 2005 after producing, namely, the Skylanders series before being pulled into the Call of Duty realms in 2021 for the battle royale Warzone.
Now, the studio is working on Crash Team Rumble and has claimed that its Call of Duty ties will not chain it down to expanding the Crash universe.
Speaking in an interview with VGC, Toys For Bob Creative Director Dan Neil said, "It's not only about what we're passionate about, it's that Activision is supportive and they continue to want to invest in new titles for this franchise. They also have a belief that we can do exciting new things."
Toys for Bob will try and balance Warzone support with new Crash Bandicoot games
With Warzone fans growing increasingly disgruntled at the lack of content for Al Mazrah, Neil added that they will remain flexible across their multiple projects and Call of Duty.
"I think that we've shown we’re a really flexible studio. The fact that, from the history of what Toys For Bob do, we've got folks internally who can turn their hands to Call of Duty and create excellent Call of Duty content. These two genres are not that similar on the surface, right?"
It does set an interesting precedent, as more Call of Duty studios might eye diversifying their own portfolios with spin-off titles and other non-CoD projects, leaving the series with less support than what it demands.
About The Author
Jack Marsh
Jack is an Esports Journalist at GGRecon. Graduating from the University of Chester, with a BA Honours degree in Journalism, Jack is an avid esports enthusiast and specialises in Rocket League, Call of Duty, VALORANT, and trending gaming news.