WOOOOOW!!!! NO WAY!! I knew Xbox had one of these classic 3D mascot platformers in development, but I did not expect to see it so soon! Aah this has been a dream game of mine for over a decade. Skylanders—a franchise I hold very near and dear—is the spiritual successor to this little purple dragon's franchise. It's the closest thing we'll ever get to a new Skylanders, and I couldn't be happier to see him back in glourious 4k. Wow it feels so good right now... Spyro is really back.

Is it a Panzer Dragoon like game?

I'll have to rewatch the trailer, though if my memory serves me right (granted it's a little difficult to pay attention to details amidst kinda losing my mind lol!), it looks like it may be! That'd be pretty cool if so!! Whatever Toys 4 Bob (I assume that'll be the team behind it) has planned, I'm sure they'll nail it.

No cause it has exploration, the tease was to show he can fly adding a new layer of exploration.

Your favorite purple dragon is back in Spyro: A Realm Beyond, a brand-new adventure from developer Toys for Bob. You’ll recognise the studio from its excellent work on the Spyro Reignited Trilogy – a faithful restoration of the first three Spyro games with some modern magic sprinkled in.

Now, the team that restored Spyro’s legacy is back, and with a whole new level of freedom to build the Spyro game they want – one that fans and new gamers alike truly deserve. As a huge Spyro fan myself, I’m thrilled to have spoken with Toys for Bob Studio Head Paul Yan, about this huge announcement, and get a little background on how the studio is preparing our fiery friend’s greatest journey yet.

This is the mighty return of a beloved character for many – how does it feel to be bringing Spyro back in an original game after all this time?

Paul Yan: First and foremost, at Toys for Bob, we are huge Spyro fans ourselves and we are so excited that “the adventure continues”. I know the wait has been excruciating but we’re so thrilled to finally come out of stealth and confirm that a new Spyro game is indeed what we’ve been up to these past few years.

The little purple dragon means so much to us – we have a long history together; Spyro was the main inspiration that led to the innovations of the Skylanders series that we pioneered, and the remake of the original three games built from the ground up in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy – which reintroduced Spyro to a modern audience. Ever since then, we’ve been dreaming of what an original new adventure would look like, and that dream has manifested in Spyro: A Realm Beyond.

Spyro’s design has gone through many iterations, from the original trilogy, to Skylanders, through to the (fabulously redeeming) Reignited Trilogy design. In the reveal, we see Spyro sporting a brand-new look – what were your biggest inspirations for creating it?

Yan: “Fabulously redeeming” is wild – and funny! From the start, our goal was to make this Spyro feel familiar – but evolved. The way I see it, the Skylanders version of Spyro is a totally different character than “mainline” Spyro, so I’m glad to see that you see the thread connecting the original games to the Reignited expression of Spyro’s design.

That design went through countless iterations, and we had deep conversations with many of the original developers of the classic games to get to the heart of who Spyro is to make sure that those qualities came through on screen. In Spyro: A Realm Beyond, we are continuing the design decisions made in Reignited but evolving him for a new set of problems that will require new skills.

Visually, we’ve made some subtle changes to suggest he’s grown since the last we saw him – most notably, we’ve enhanced his wingspan so that he can be much more capable in flight. But this is absolutely the same Spyro you know and love, and that’s why we’re so thrilled to have Tom Kenny back to voice him! Tom’s performance delivers the plucky youthful courage that is such an important aspect of Spyro’s personality.

Much more capable in flight, you say? We do see Spyro flying without limits for the first time, in previous games he can only glide. Why did this change feel important for this new game?

Yan: In the classic games, Spyro could gently glide down from jumps and, in a handful of separate mini-levels, he could fly under time-pressure. I’ve always wondered what it would be like if these two experiences could somehow be collapsed into Spyro’s core ability kit. That question is the heart of the design ambition for Spyro: A Realm Beyond. As more of us started to poke at that question, it quickly became apparent that this was the right evolution for Spyro – take to the skies and own the airtime.

In Spyro: A Realm Beyond, Spyro will experience the freedom of true dragon flight. He’s small, but mighty, so we had to do a lot of different experiments to explore how he could be both nimble and still be very physical when actively pushing his way through the air.

Spyro has always existed in unique, whimsical worlds with plenty of exploration – can we expect to see that same style and charm carried into Spyro: A Realm Beyond?

Yan: One. Hundred. Percent. We know first-hand that a big part of what makes a Spyro game really resonate is having a wide variety of colorful, whimsical spaces with activities, characters, and treasures that motivate you to explore every nook and cranny. In Spyro: A Realm Beyond, the sense of discovery is absolutely core to this new adventure. You got to see a little peek at the world in the announcement trailer, and I can’t wait to share more with you in time.

For now, I can tell you that our biggest ambition in Spyro: A Realm Beyond is to give the player the freedom and fantasy of dragon flight – to be able to take the skies at a moment’s notice and make interesting and active decisions to flow through the spaces as you charge on the ground and now soar through the air. This is such a significant addition to the game, and we’ve built a whole world around that promise.

Tonally, Spyro: A Realm Beyond feels more grown up than previous Spyro titles – why did that feel like the right direction to take?

Yan: A big reason why I love Spyro games is that they are ultimately joyful, dream-like experiences full of charming, quirky friends and Spyro: A Realm Beyond certainly builds on that important foundation. In the showcase announcement trailer, you may have noticed that we are introducing the threat of a new antagonist in this story, and his presence will raise the stakes. He will challenge Spyro’s abilities and push him to new emotional depths that will see Spyro grow as a hero. It’s a story full of heart and I can’t wait for you to experience this new journey.

Finally… can you tease anything that long term fans can look forward to?

Yan: I can tease that… there will be so much more to share!! This is just the beginning. To the long-term fans – you are an incredible community, and I love that you’re so deeply committed every year to celebrating and advocating for Spyro to have a new original mainline game. Our team thanks you. After nearly two decades, the time has come.

Spyro is back. He is headlining a brand-new adventure. And I can’t wait for you to experience how he soars to new heights in Spyro: A Realm Beyond. This game was developed with love for Spyro and more importantly, for you.

Thank you for sharing this! Oh, and the first sentence: It is Toys 4 Bob behind the development!! Man what a dream come true. Again, these are the same folks behind Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (as well as Skylanders Giants, Skylanders: Trap Team, and Spyro Reignited Trilogy). Such a perfect pairing!

Hoping for the best. I liked Crash 4 so hoping the return of Spyro is also to my liking.

I think the gameplay teaser was counter productive, it made me worried it was on rails...

Now that's cleared up, I'm so excited! Only bigger announcements would of been Banjo

Yes it was a poor trailer. They showed about 10 seconds of gameplay and it was all flying. Some decisions boggle the mind.

They'd have honestly been better not showing that gameplay at all, instead they just confused people lol.

There will be more trailers in the future. There is plenty of time to show of more. I certainly expect it to show up in a Nintendo Direct. That's where the audience for this kind of game mostly sits now.