Spyro the Dragon was Insomniac’s second game after Disruptor.
Insomniac Games’ first released title was Disruptor, a first-person shooter launched in 1996 for the PlayStation and 3DO. After that project, the studio moved in a very different direction with Spyro the Dragon, a colorful third-person platform game designed around exploration, gliding, charging, and fire-breathing.
The contrast between the two games is part of Insomniac’s early history. Disruptor demonstrated that the small studio could build a technically ambitious action game, while Spyro broadened its audience with a friendlier world and a younger protagonist. Universal Interactive encouraged Insomniac to pursue a follow-up project after Disruptor, leading to the concept that became Spyro.
Spyro the Dragon arrived in North America on September 9, 1998. It became the foundation of a trilogy, followed by Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! in 1999 and Spyro: Year of the Dragon in 2000. Insomniac later left the series after completing the original trilogy.