New Banjo Kazooie Game Rumors Have Started Again

Banjo Kazooie has been a vintage darling that has gained popular status among gamers of previous generations. The game is featured in numerous lists of some of the greatest games ever released. Ever since its inception in 1998, the game series has seen a massive set of publishers.

Rare has developed it, but it was published by Nintendo and, later, Xbox Game Studios. This happened after Xbox Game Studios acquired the developer studio in 2002.

Now, rumors are being sparked that the series is making a comeback. Allegedly, the series is getting a revival. Nothing is confirmed, and these are still just rumors, but reviving a cult classic could theoretically be suitable for the Xbox player base.

Is Banjo Kazooie Set for a Reboot?

Banjo Kazooie is a classic title.

Originally reported on the popular forum ResetEra, there are reports of a Banjo Kazooie game reportedly being developed. YouTuber NateTheHate, going by his handle NateDrake on the site, was the person who broke the news. This happened after a user asked about the title’s development on the forum. This is what NateDrak said on the matter:

Remains an active project but the project was only greenlit early last year. Much has to be done & development can change a ton (ideas abandoned, internal reboots, etc…)

It is worth noting that Microsoft has been associated with the series since the release of Nuts & Bolts as an Xbox 360 exclusive. It is unknown what the rumor entails for the franchise or whether it will make its way to the ninth generation of consoles.

The game will also most likely be an exclusive for the current Xbox console at the time of release and the PC. If rumors are to be believed, the game must be in very early stages, and no one knows if and when it will be officially announced. The rumor of the title being a project being actively developed comes after a similar rumor was sparked on NateTheHate’s podcast on YouTube.

The Xbox boss also mentioned Banjo Kazooie.

ModernVintageGamer MVG was a guest on the podcast, and this is what was revealed on it:

I’ve heard that Banjo’s coming up for months now, from different people. Something’s happening with Banjo, what I can’t tell you is what that is.

On the podcast, NateTheHate and ModernVintageGamer stated that a reveal was to be expected during the Xbox Showcase 2022, but nothing showed up. In December 2023, Xbox boss Phil Spencer mentioned Banjo blatantly as an example of a franchise that fans want to see returning sometime.

This is what Spencer mentioned during an interview with WindowsCentral:

You’ve seen from our history that we haven’t touched every franchise that people would love us to touch — Banjo fans, I hear you. But it is true that, when we find the right team, and the right opportunity, I love going back to revisit stories and characters that we’ve seen previously.

It doesn’t seem like a simple coincidence that rumors of the title being developed and the event of the studio chief mentioning it, occurred such a short window. On the other hand, it could be that Spencer’s statement could have led to someone sparking the rumor for unknown reasons.

Being an iconic franchise, it would undoubtedly make for an exciting addition to the console’s current library, which lacks exclusives like Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Dexter. While Banjo came earlier than Ratchet and Clank and fans even discuss the game franchises’ similarities and differences, some even argue that the former directly inspired the latter.

While the Bear and Bird duo haven’t had an individual title in quite some time, they have appeared as fighters in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate video game in 2019. The fan reactions to the duo’s addition to the title were optimistic and spoke volumes about the duo’s relevance in the current era of video games.

If the series were to return after all this while, some significant tweaks would have to be made to make it feel more likable to the current generation. That is because platformer titles nowadays, do not enjoy the kind of relevance and popularity compared to other genres.

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