The worst-kept secret in gaming just got another confirmation. Donald Yatomi, a former senior concept artist at Toys for Bob, may have inadvertently revealed that the studio is developing a new Spyro game. His LinkedIn profile lists Spyro as one of the intellectual properties he worked on during his time at the studio from August 2022 to March 2024, sitting right alongside Call of Duty.
The discovery, first spotted by Twitter user @Xian01 and subsequently reported by prominent Crash and Spyro YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh on December 22, has sent the Spyro community into a frenzy. While Toys for Bob has been cryptically teasing something purple for months, this represents the closest thing to concrete proof that Spyro 4 actually exists.
The LinkedIn Leak That Launched A Thousand Theories
Donald Yatomi joined Toys for Bob in August 2022, right when the studio was deep into supporting Call of Duty titles under Activision’s directive. He remained there until March 2024, surviving the brutal January 2024 layoffs that cut 89 people from the studio. That timing is significant because Canadian Guy Eh theorizes that Toys for Bob kept Yatomi specifically because they needed his pre-visualization expertise to pitch a new Spyro game to Xbox.
The fact that Yatomi lists Spyro alongside Call of Duty in his work history is telling. The last Spyro release was the Spyro Reignited Trilogy in 2018, a remaster of the original PlayStation trilogy. For Spyro to appear in Yatomi’s portfolio covering 2022-2024 means he worked on something new, not content from a six-year-old remaster.
Some skeptics suggest Yatomi might be referencing Spyro’s brief appearance in Crash Team Rumble, the ill-fated multiplayer brawler that Toys for Bob released in 2023. But concept artists typically list major projects in their portfolios, not cameo appearances. If it was just a Crash Team Rumble skin, that seems like an odd thing to highlight separately from the main game.
The Trail of Purple Breadcrumbs
This LinkedIn leak doesn’t exist in isolation. Toys for Bob has been dropping hints about a Spyro project for over a year, each one more obvious than the last.
When the studio announced its independence from Activision in February 2024, the farewell message included a cheeky “keep your horns on” reference. Spyro has horns. Crash Bandicoot does not. The message was clear to anyone paying attention.
In September 2024, Toys for Bob relaunched its website with a complete redesign. Prominently featured on the homepage’s game section was a purple gem texture with a white question mark inside. The purple color scheme, combined with the gem imagery, screamed Spyro to anyone familiar with the series. The question mark remains on the site today, taunting fans who know exactly what it represents but can’t get official confirmation.
In April 2025, Toys for Bob co-studio head Paul Yan revealed in an email interview with Canadian Guy Eh that the studio is working with both Xbox and Activision on its next project. This is crucial information. Activision owns the Spyro and Crash Bandicoot intellectual properties. For an independent Toys for Bob to work on Spyro, they’d need Activision’s blessing and Microsoft’s funding. That partnership is apparently happening.
The March 2024 Confirmation
Canadian Guy Eh first reported Spyro 4’s existence back in March 2024. According to his sources, development began around January 2024, right after Toys for Bob finished supporting Crash Team Rumble and underwent its independence transition. He confirmed the information with multiple sources at PAX East 2024, where developers attending the convention mentioned hearing about the new Spyro project.
At the time, Canadian Guy Eh warned that early development is precarious. Games get cancelled, shelved, or radically transformed all the time. Just because something is in development doesn’t guarantee it will ever release. The gaming industry is littered with cancelled projects that seemed promising, especially in 2024 when publishers like NetEase shuttered multiple Western studios working on ambitious titles.
But here we are in late 2024, and new evidence keeps emerging. If the project had been cancelled, we likely would have heard about it by now. The fact that former developers are still listing Spyro in their portfolios suggests the game made it far enough into production to be considered a legitimate project worth showcasing professionally.
Why Toys for Bob Going Indie Matters
Understanding Toys for Bob’s journey from Activision subsidiary to independent studio is essential context for this leak. The studio was founded way back in 1989 by Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford, creators of the beloved Star Control series. After years of working on licensed games and partnering with various publishers, Activision acquired Toys for Bob in 2005.
Under Activision, the studio thrived. They created the Skylanders toys-to-life franchise in 2011, which became a massive success. They developed the Spyro Reignited Trilogy in 2018, earning critical acclaim and selling over 10 million copies. They followed up with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time in 2020, a genuine sequel to the classic Naughty Dog trilogy that many consider one of the best platformers of the generation.
Then Activision made what many consider a catastrophic decision. Despite Toys for Bob’s proven track record with beloved franchises, Activision reassigned the entire studio to supporting Call of Duty in 2021. The team that had just delivered a fantastic Crash Bandicoot sequel was now fixing bugs and creating content for Warzone. It was a waste of talent and expertise that baffled industry observers.
When Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in 2023 for $69 billion, many hoped Toys for Bob would be freed from Call of Duty duty. Instead, Microsoft announced 1,900 layoffs across Activision Blizzard studios in early 2024. Toys for Bob lost 89 employees, and the physical office in Novato, California was permanently closed.
Rather than accept this fate, studio heads Paul Yan and Avery Lodato made a bold decision. They negotiated independence from Activision and Microsoft, taking Toys for Bob back to its roots as a small, independent developer. The move came with heavy costs, losing most of their staff and their physical location. But it also meant freedom to pursue the projects they wanted without corporate interference.
The Microsoft Partnership
Going independent doesn’t mean going it alone. Toys for Bob immediately struck a partnership deal with Xbox Game Studios Publishing, the division of Microsoft that funds external developers working on Xbox projects. This arrangement gives Toys for Bob creative freedom while providing the financial resources needed to develop a major platformer.
Xbox Game Studios Publishing has been expanding aggressively, funding projects like As Dusk Falls, Pentiment, and the upcoming Perfect Dark reboot being developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics. Adding Toys for Bob to that roster makes perfect sense. Microsoft desperately needs family-friendly platformers on Game Pass, and Spyro fills that niche perfectly.
The partnership structure also explains how Toys for Bob can work on Activision-owned IP. Microsoft owns Activision, so they can authorize Toys for Bob to develop Spyro while funding the project through Xbox Game Studios Publishing. Everyone wins. Activision gets a new entry in a dormant franchise. Microsoft gets exclusive content for Game Pass. Toys for Bob gets to make the game they want without supporting Call of Duty.
What To Expect From Spyro 4
Details about the actual game remain scarce. No one has leaked gameplay footage, story details, or confirmed features. What we can infer comes from Toys for Bob’s track record and the current state of the platformer genre.
Crash Bandicoot 4 demonstrated that Toys for Bob understands how to modernize classic platformers without losing what made them special. The game featured gorgeous visuals, tight controls, creative level design, and a difficulty curve that challenged veterans while remaining accessible to newcomers. Expect Spyro 4 to follow a similar philosophy – a genuine sequel to the original trilogy that respects the source material while pushing the series forward.
One interesting possibility comes from a leak earlier in 2025 about an Xbox Game Studios Publishing producer working on unannounced cross-platform titles. Canadian Guy Eh speculated this could be Spyro 4, and the cross-platform designation might indicate online co-op functionality. Previous Spyro games were strictly single-player experiences, but modern platformers like It Takes Two have proven cooperative gameplay can work brilliantly in the genre.
The timeline suggests a 2026 reveal is likely. Most leaks and predictions point to Spyro 4 being announced at the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2026, with a release later that year or in early 2027. That would put the game at roughly two and a half to three years of development time, counting from the alleged January 2024 start date. For a studio intimately familiar with the Spyro franchise, that seems like a reasonable development cycle.
The Skeptical Take
Not everyone is convinced this leak confirms anything. LinkedIn profiles are notoriously unreliable sources of information. Developers sometimes list projects they barely worked on, include cancelled games in their portfolios, or make mistakes when updating their work history. Yatomi could be referencing his concept art work on the Spyro Reignited Trilogy from before he joined Toys for Bob, though the timeline doesn’t quite match up for that explanation.
There’s also the possibility that a Spyro project was in development but has since been cancelled. The gaming industry in 2024 saw unprecedented studio closures and project cancellations. NetEase alone shuttered six Western studios working on ambitious games. If Toys for Bob’s funding fell through or if early prototypes didn’t impress Microsoft, the project could have been quietly shelved without public announcement.
Canadian Guy Eh himself, the biggest champion of Spyro 4’s existence, recently tempered expectations by stating he doesn’t think Spyro will appear at The Game Awards in December 2024. He maintains his 2026 prediction stands, but acknowledges the game isn’t imminent. Patience remains essential, even with mounting evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Spyro 4 officially confirmed?
No, neither Toys for Bob, Xbox, nor Activision has officially announced Spyro 4. All information comes from leaks, LinkedIn profiles, website teases, and industry insider reports. The game remains unconfirmed despite substantial circumstantial evidence.
Who is Donald Yatomi?
Donald Yatomi is a former senior concept artist who worked at Toys for Bob from August 2022 to March 2024. His LinkedIn profile lists both Call of Duty and Spyro as projects he worked on during that period, inadvertently suggesting a new Spyro game exists.
When did development on Spyro 4 allegedly begin?
According to YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh’s sources, Spyro 4 entered development around January 2024, shortly after Toys for Bob became an independent studio. This would put the game at roughly two years of development by late 2025.
Will Spyro 4 be exclusive to Xbox?
Probably not. While Xbox Game Studios Publishing is funding the project, leaks suggest it will be cross-platform. This means PlayStation, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC releases are likely alongside Xbox. Day-one Game Pass availability is virtually guaranteed, however.
When will Spyro 4 be announced?
Most predictions point to the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2026 as the likely reveal event. Canadian Guy Eh has stated he’s confident Spyro 4 will be officially announced by June 5, 2026, though an earlier reveal remains possible.
What happened to Toys for Bob?
Toys for Bob was an Activision-owned studio that developed Skylanders, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and Crash Bandicoot 4. After being reassigned to Call of Duty support and suffering layoffs in 2024, the studio became independent in February 2024 and now partners with Xbox Game Studios Publishing.
Could this be about Spyro’s appearance in Crash Team Rumble instead of a new game?
While possible, it seems unlikely. Concept artists typically highlight major projects in their portfolios, not minor character appearances. The timing also doesn’t match up well, as Crash Team Rumble content would have been finalized well before Yatomi’s March 2024 departure.
What was the last mainline Spyro game?
The last original Spyro game was The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon in 2008, developed by the now-defunct French studio Étranges Libellules. The last Spyro release was the Spyro Reignited Trilogy in 2018, which remastered the first three games from the original PlayStation era.
The Waiting Game Continues
For Spyro fans, this LinkedIn leak represents another piece of an increasingly convincing puzzle. The purple website teases, the cryptic social media messages, the partnership with Xbox, the timing of Yatomi’s employment, and now his explicit listing of Spyro in his work history all point in the same direction. Something Spyro is happening at Toys for Bob.
But official confirmation remains elusive. Until Toys for Bob, Microsoft, or Activision actually announces the game, it exists in that frustrating limbo of open secret. Everyone involved knows fans desperately want Spyro 4. The evidence strongly suggests the game is real and in active development. Yet no one with authority will confirm it publicly.
This careful silence likely serves a purpose. Game announcements are marketing events carefully planned to maximize impact. Revealing Spyro 4 too early, before the game is far enough along to show compelling gameplay footage, risks disappointing fans if development hits inevitable obstacles. Better to wait until the game is polished enough to make a strong first impression.
The Spyro community has waited 16 years for a proper new entry in the series. Waiting another year or two for an official announcement, followed by the actual release, seems manageable in comparison. And unlike the dark years when Spyro seemed permanently dormant, there’s genuine hope now. Toys for Bob proved with the Reignited Trilogy that they understand and respect the franchise. If anyone can deliver a worthy Spyro 4, it’s them.
So fans wait, analyzing every social media post and LinkedIn profile for clues. The purple question mark on Toys for Bob’s website remains, a tantalizing mystery that everyone already knows the answer to but can’t officially solve. When June 2026 rolls around and Xbox presumably reveals their lineup, that question mark will likely transform into a triumphant announcement. Until then, leaks like Donald Yatomi’s LinkedIn profile are all we have. But honestly, they’re enough.