Activision announced a new multiplayer game calledCrash Team Rumble, which will be coming to two generations of consoles in 2023. The upcoming spinoff was confirmed with a reveal trailer during the 2022 edition of The Game Awards, but Activision has beenteasing a newCrash Bandicootgame since October.
The development ofCrash Team Rumbleis helmed by Toys for Bob, a former Crystal Dynamics subsidiary that was acquired by Activision in 2005. This is the same studio that handled the Switch port of thewell-receivedCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogybefore independently developingCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, the latest mainline game in the 26-year-old franchise which hit PC and consoles in 2020.
RELATED:Crash Bandicoot Fan Makes Incredible Uka Uka Mask
Crash Team Rumbleappears to borrow the action camera and character designs fromCrash Bandicoot 4, but that’s where the similarities between the two end. Mechanically, the new game is a multiplayer-focused experience that will pit eight players from two teams in deadly battles for Wumpa Fruit across a variety of island-based maps. The developers said each character will come with their own set of skills and abilities, which almost makesCrash Team Rumblesound like a MOBA. But that’s only a guess, as not much has been shown in the way of raw gameplay just yet. Either way, this is definitely not a spiritual successor toCrash Bash, the only seeminglyforgotten classic from Activision’sCrash Bandicootcatalog.
The reveal trailer forCrash Team Rumbleshows over half a dozen fan-favorite characters that will presumably be playable in the upcoming title, including Crash and Coco Bandicoot, Dr. Neo Cortex, Dingodile, Tawna, Dr. Nefarious Tropy, and Dr. Nitrus Brio.Crash Team Rumblewill also seemingly introduce some new characters to the long-running franchise, as the promotional materials for the game also offer a few glimpses of an unnamed, bat-like creature which appears to be playing for the villain team.
Activision has yet to attach a firm release date toCrash Team Rumble, with the publisher only stating that the game is planned to debut at some point in 2023. Between the largely positive reception of the two Toys for Bob-developedCrash Bandicoottitles and thesuccessful launch ofCrash Bandicoot: On The Run, it stands to reason that Activision might have more installments in the iconic series in the works.
Crash Team Rumbleis just one of numerous games showed off at the 2022 edition ofThe Game Awards. The December 8 ceremony also featured the announcements ofHades 2,Death Stranding 2, andArmored Core 6, as well as new gameplay footage fromStar Wars: Jedi Survivor,Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, andWarhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, among many others.
Crash Team Rumbleis coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023.
