The future of Toys for Bob is uncertain after the closure of its studio in Novato, California, part of the fallout from Xbox’s recent Activision Blizzard acquisition that has resulted in roughly 1900 layoffs.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that 86 workers have been laid off from the studio best-known for Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Skylanders. Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer Games was similarly impacted, laying off some 76 employees. The closures were discovered via official state filings.
The Activision Blizzard layoffs were announced at the end of January as Xbox has sought to restructure the company following its $69 billion acquisition. The cuts included the departure of former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra as well as the cancellation of a survival game in development at Blizzard.
It’s unclear whether what impact these changes will have on the long-term future of Toys for Bob. Numerous publishers across the games industry have been laying off employees and shuttering facilities as they focus on remote work. IGN has reached out to Activision for comment.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
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