A Realm Beyond reunites you with our favorite purple dragon after 18 years

During the Xbox Games Showcase, Toys for Bob debuts the first trailer for Spyro: A Realm Beyond, and man, it’s so good to see this little purple legend back on the scene. It’s only a brief look at Spyro‘s return, but it isn’t just launching on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. It’s coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. That alone makes Pocket Tactics’ Connor Christie very, very happy.

Most of the Spyro: A Realm Beyond footage focuses on in-game cinematics, but we do get a little glimpse of its gameplay. Taking to the skies with a fresh coat of glossy graphics, you’ll be glad to know that Toys for Bob is also the same hands behind the Spyro: Reignited remaster collection. Better yet, original Spyro voice actor Tom Kenny returns to reprise the role.

The new Switch game marks the first original Spyro title in nearly 20 years. Toys for Bob is building the game in Unreal Engine 5, too. Speaking about the project to Xbox, Toys for Bob studio head Paul Yan says that after the release of the Reignited collection, the developer has “been dreaming of what an original new adventure would look like, and that dream has manifested in Spyro: A Realm Beyond.”

Eagle-eyed fans will see some visual changes to Spyro’s design. Yan explains that “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.” Spyro is also flying without any constraints for the first time, not just gliding like previous entries.

Yan adds that “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.” A Realm Beyond is also set to be a mature story, too. With a new antagonist on the horizon, Spyro’s abilities will be tested to their limits, as well as pushing the purple icon to his emotional depths.

“It’s a story full of heart, and I can’t wait for you to experience this new journey,” Yan shares. We don’t have a launch date just yet for Spyro: A Realm Beyond, but the trailer reveals it’s aiming for a Spring 2027 release. Considering that we’ve covered the fall of Spyro over the years, it sure is good to have him back.