The Crash Bandicoot series is a publicly available video game franchise (not a privately-owned single-person property) in the video game entertainment industry. The first game in the series was developed by Naughty Dog and published in 1996. Since then, the series has grown into a multi-platform franchise featuring platforming, racing and party games.
The brand and intellectual property (IP) underlying Crash Bandicoot are currently overseen by the game-publishing company Activision, Inc., which acts as publisher and rights holder.
Ownership Status of the Crash Bandicoot Franchise
Since Crash Bandicoot is part of a commercial franchise, there is no single “owner” in the sense of an individual owning it outright. Instead:
- The IP is legally held by a corporate entity (Activision).
- Development of individual games has been handled by many studios over time.
- Ownership rights have shifted via corporate acquisitions and mergers.
Major Rights Holder
| Entity | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Activision, Inc. | IP holder & publisher | Via acquisition of predecessor companies; currently controls the franchise. |
| King (subsidiary of Activision) | Co-developer / mobile publisher | Collaborated on mobile version “Crash Bandicoot On the Run!” under Activision’s umbrella. |
Note: Additional development studios (e.g., Naughty Dog, Vicarious Visions, Toys for Bob) have built games in the franchise, but they do not own the IP itself.
Key Shareholder Highlights
Because the rights are held by a corporation (Activision), ownership is distributed among that corporation’s shareholders rather than a few named individuals. Some relevant context:
- Activision is a publicly traded company (ticker: ATVI) under the umbrella of the larger Microsoft Corporation following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- The franchise is therefore controlled through corporate governance rather than being individually owned by a single founder or studio.
- Studios such as Naughty Dog or developers do not hold the IP—it resides with Activision and its parent company.
Recent Developments in Ownership
- In March 2024, there were reports confirming that Microsoft / Activision retains ownership of the Crash Bandicoot franchise.
- There have been rumors (particularly in 2013-2014) that Sony Interactive Entertainment might acquire the rights, but Sony later confirmed that Activision still owns the IP.
- As of now, there is no public information indicating a transfer of ownership away from Activision.
FAQs
1. Who is the current owner of Crash Bandicoot?
The franchise is owned by Activision, Inc., a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation. There is no individual private owner.
2. Is Crash Bandicoot publicly traded or privately owned?
The franchise itself is part of a publicly traded company (Activision) under Microsoft. The IP is corporate-controlled, not privately owned by a single person.
3. Who founded Crash Bandicoot?
The original game was developed by Naughty Dog (co-founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1996.
4. Has the ownership changed recently?
Yes, ownership has shifted via corporate mergers (e.g., Vivendi → Activision) and acquisitions (Activision by Microsoft). But there is no recent change beyond those corporate transactions.