Update - May 19th, 2026: Readers, I have some great news for you - Spyro is free!
Yesterday, I wrote an article about a huge Spyro statue from E3 2000 being found in an abandoned building. The person who found it, known as MomokaRage on Reddit, was set to return to the building where Spyro was being incarcerated (yes, against his own free will) to free him. They said they would return with a truck to try and obtain him, hoping they'd be able to get him out. And that's exactly what they've done!
Spyro finally has space to get his wings up, and the statue looks like it's had a good clean too. The picture that I used for our featured image looked eerily like Spyro had a collar and chain around his neck, so it's even better to see him free and able to spread his wings once more. Check out the video below of how they got him home - that must have been a strange sight to see on the Highway!
I am seeing his lil cake and hilarious that everybody is just flipping cuz is freaking Spyro pic.twitter.com/5SqLtPhQJm
— M. (@MomokaRage) May 19, 2026
And listen, I know I'm talking about an inanimate object here, but Spyro means so. much to all of us, so it's incredible to see this piece getting a new lease of life. MomokaRage is now going to work on restoring the statue to its former glory. They've become a bit of a viral sensation for their rescue efforts, and it's great how the whole retro gaming community has rallied behind their efforts to keep this piece of E3 history alive.
Follow MomokaRage on X to follow Spyro's restoration journey!
Original Article: May 18th, 2026: Imagine just peering through the window of an abandoned building and discovering one of the PS1's greatest exports trapped inside. Yes, I use the word trapped - it feels like I'm looking at an advert for the RSPCA or the ASPCA, with someone walking in to free Spyro and release him back into the world.
The statue of Spyro was discovered by Reddit user Momoka Rage who has taken a video of their discovery. If you can't remember the statue in its former glory, it was on show at the Spyro: Year of the Dragon booth at E3 2000. It's so strange to see it just stuck inside an abandoned building 26 years later!
A user by the name of Momoka-Rage on Reddit has found the old E3 2000 Spyro statue that was on display at the Spyro: Year of the Dragon booth! Momoka-Rage is already working on a plan to rescue the statue. 🔥https://t.co/Q8O4ZwWqN7 pic.twitter.com/0UBW7T4FzJ
— Spyro Universe 💎 (@SpyroUniverse) May 17, 2026
The sight is pretty eerie, especially as Spyro looks less than pleased to be incarcerated in such a terrible place. MomokaRage explains that the statue is around 12 feet long, and that it's been in the same building for years.
'The owner is an older guy,' says MomokaRage, 'probably in his 80's. He bought the building back in 2021, and Spyro was already chilling inside. He had no clue what to do with him, so he just left him there. When we talked this morning, he actually asked if I could take him off his hands and said it’d be a huge favor! The guy had completely forgotten he even owned the building.'
The owner of the building simply referred to Spyro as 'that purple lizard thing', obviously not knowing that he had a piece of gaming history locked up in a disused building. Momoka Rage now plans to pick up Spyro today after work (May 18th if you're reading this from the future) and begin work to restore him back to his former glory!
I love finds like this - it makes you wonder how they got there in the first place though, which kind of adds to the mystery. Take this rare abandoned Sega arcade unit that was found in a field in England, for example! It's like being a part of the ultimate treasure hunt, and in the case of Spyro, one that's going to need a big truck to get him home.
