While Microsoft and Rare have been quiet about Banjo-Kazooie, many prominent industry reporters and leakers have been talking about the classic series, but is a game actually coming out?
The original Banjo-Kazooie, released in 1998 on Nintendo 64, sparked an industry-wide trend of “buddy-platformers.” Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, and other less-popular imitators popped up. Ratchet and Clank is the only series that really held up over time. Even the originals haven’t been seen since 2008’s Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.
In the many years since then, discussion of a reboot of the series has popped up fairly regularly. This is even though Xbox and Rare haven’t disclosed any plans to bring the duo back. The latest uptick in chatter comes after social media banter that may or may not have hinted at a comeback.
Is Xbox going to announce a Banjo-Kazooie game?
It is unknown if a new Banjo-Kazooie game is in the works.
Hope was reignited by a tweet from Windows Central’s Jez Corden. Corden is an Xbox-focused beat writer for the site whose social media presence has been leveraged by Microsoft to tease Xbox reveals. This includes Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer teasing an Xbox handheld through likes on Corden’s tweets.
This comes ahead of the Xbox Games Showcase scheduled for June 9, fans will likely see the newest game in the long-dormant Banjo-Kazooie series. Corden’s tweet was picked up by leakers, hinting that there may be something to it beyond just some trolling. Corden himself suggested that the tweet was just a joke, but left the door open.
“I’m just trolling Reddit…or am I?” Corden asked.
Rare has been busy over the years releasing a variety of new games. The latest, Sea of Thieves, was launched to mixed reviews but has since become one of Xbox’s most notable exclusives. The developers recently released the game on PlayStation 5 earlier this year. Xbox has been interested in reviving old franchises and rumors about a Blue Dragon game are also gaining traction.
Rare is currently working on Everwild
If a Banjo-Kazooie remake or reboot happens, it likely won’t involve Rare. That’s because, in addition to maintaining Sea of Thieves, the studio is currently developing Everwild.
Everwild is an upcoming god game. It has had a troubled development, with work reportedly beginning in 2014. It wasn’t officially announced until 2019 and has reportedly gone through at least one teardown and rebuild since.
Many developers who worked on the original Banjo-Kazooie have since moved to Playtonic Games. The new studio made Yooka-Laylee, a crowd-funded game that acted as a spiritual successor. Yooka-Laylee 2 is in the works, but no release has been announced. For now, neither Xbox nor Rare have confirmed the next Banjo-Kazooie game.