Crash Team Rumble is an upcoming multiplayer game based on the Crash Bandicoot franchise, where two teams of players compete against each other as they stockpile wumpa fruit. Fans have been excited about this new title for some time, but developer Toys for Bob and publisher Activision are looking to bring new fans in too with the upcoming release of Crash Team Rumble.
Game Rant recently attended a preview event of Crash Team Rumble, hosted by creative director Dan Neil and associate creative director Lou Studdert. The two spoke deeply about the inspiration behind the upcoming game, as well as their hopes of bringing an entirely new generation of gamers to the Crash Bandicoot series. They said the game was developed with this goal in mind, focusing on creating a gameplay style and mechanics that would appeal to a variety of different gamers.
A New Crash Game for a New Generation
Not only did Neil and Studdert want to create a multiplayer game that satisfied the energy of Crash Bandicoot’s origins, but they also sought to draw in a new generation of Crash Bandicoot players. The original franchise was first popular with millennials, and although new games have been released since then, the franchise still somewhat appeals nostalgically to millennials. Neil and Studdert, however, are passionate about appealing to the younger generation, Gen Z, and getting them interested in the franchise. They said their plans for drawing in a younger generation started with looking at the “approachability of the game,” and ensuring that players of various ages and proficiency levels would have an enjoyable experience. Both were confident in their ability to accomplish this, with Studdert saying,
“As a studio, we've got a little history in creating successful games. That's true for younger gamers too. We’re definitely sensitive to how you do that. With this game, we want to create a really accessible product that will join a new generation of fans to the Crash universe.”
Crash Team Rumble's Gameplay Approach Explained
The upcoming Crash Team Rumble is an arena-style game, which plays 4v4-style. Each player is able to select their own character along with unique roles and abilities. Throughout the game, players must score by collecting wumpa fruit in various maps and returning it to their team’s bank. Each match is 4-5 minutes long, and teams much reach 1000 points to win. Along the way, teams can capture gem pad clusters to boost their scoring and collect relics that will give them special abilities during matches.
Players start by selecting a hero from the numerous options of popular characters from the classic Crash Bandicoot franchise. This includes Coco Bandicoot, Dingodile, Tawna, and even Crash Bandicoot himself. Each character has their own unique abilities as, for example, Tawna has a grappling hook she can use to move around the map more quickly, while Dingodile has his famous giant gun. After selecting a character, players move on to choosing a power ranging from a healing fridge, which heals characters on the chosen team, to a Gasmoxian Guard, which players can use to defend their own wumpa stashes or block enemy stashes. Each player has different roles, including scorers, blockers, and boosters. Scorers collect wumpa and return it to the bank, blockers defend the scorers, and boosters focus on getting extra points from gem pads and relics.
According to Neil and Studdert, Crash Team Rumble is “quite strategic” but also has an easy-to-follow setup that makes gameplay approachable for a wide range of players from all ages and skill levels. While there are numerous tasks for each team and “a lot going on” during the matches, the team focused on designing a game that would be accessible and easy to play.
“One of the important things for us is, when we were looking at developing this game, was making something along with the map design and the activities that anyone could hop into and play,” Studdert said. “They could focus on just collecting lump and bring it to the bank. Or you know if you've got that platforming skill from, you know, playing endless hours of Crash Bandicoot 4, you could.
The same is true for the map selection, which includes locations like Just Beachy, Calamity Canyon, and Tiki Towers. Neil and Studdert clearly took into consideration both the old and new generations of players when creating the map spaces. They created arenas with sections of easier gameplay and sections of more difficult gameplay, so players of all ages and skill levels could participate.
Neil and Studdert added that they are more than proud of what they have accomplished with the development of Crash Team Rumble. They are eager to share the game with a whole new fanbase and introduce the game to a brand-new generation of players. “It’s a super fun, colorful, zany, wacky, absurd franchise, and we're super excited to be making a game that we think is going to pull in new players,” Neil said.
Crash Team Rumble will officially launch on June 20, 2023, for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.