Developer Iron Galaxy is “investigating” an Easter egg followers noticed involving a trash can and a Guitar Hero clone within the not too long ago launched Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3+4.
Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3+4 is a remake of the PS2-era hits THPS 3 and THPS 4. The newest entry within the long-running sequence continues the franchise’s historical past of delivering pure pleasure and happiness, one kickflip and tremendous combo at a time. It additionally, just like the previous video games, consists of visible gags in every of its up to date ranges. However one explicit joke noticed in one of many recreation’s few completely new ranges, Waterpark, appears to incorporate a dig at how Activision handled Neversoft and the Guitar Hero franchise. And Iron Galaxy, the studio behind THPS 3+4, says it will take away the joke.
As noticed by followers on-line, in Waterpark, you will discover a trash can containing a field for a fictional recreation titled “Banjo Champion.” In a Reddit submit, one fan shared a picture of the Easter egg/joke and insinuated it was Iron Galaxy shitting on Neversoft. This led to a remark from Iron Galaxy denying the poster’s declare.
“Now we have the utmost respect for anybody who makes video games,” mentioned Iron Galaxy on Reddit. “We’re investigating how that acquired in there within the first place. Thanks to the group for bringing this to our consideration, and we’ll be eradicating that from the setting artwork within the subsequent replace.”
This prompted a whole lot of replies from followers asking Iron Galaxy to depart it in, as they didn’t imagine it was a joke about Neversoft, however as a substitute a joke about Activision.
Kotaku has contacted Iron Galaxy and Activision for remark.
Once I noticed this field on Waterpark, I assumed it was Iron Galaxy making a joke about how Neversoft, the creators of the Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater sequence, had been pressured off the skateboarding franchise round 2005 and needed to develop new Guitar Hero video games as a substitute. That sounds loads like how Activision operates in 2025, shoving all of its groups onto its present huge money cow, Name of Obligation, and never letting them make their very own stuff. Ultimately, Guitar Hero gross sales tanked, and Neversoft was closed in 2014, with its remaining employees shoved into the CoD mines. A tragic and irritating finish for an important studio. On this context, the Banjo Champion field within the trash can appears becoming.
It must also be famous that the Banjo Champion field was first seen in THPS 1+2, developed by Vicarious Visions. And guess what occurred to that group after making a profitable Tony Hawk recreation? It acquired shoved into the Activision machine in 2021 and now co-develops Name of Obligation and Diablo video games.
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