Fans rejoice in skepitcal cheer — a new Banjo-Kazooie game is supposedly in the works. This rumor has been spreading for some time, but a notable insider has spurred the rumor on, especially as Xbox boss Phil Spencer called out to Banjo fans.
Nate Drake over on ResetEra (via Idle Sloth on Twitter) alleged that the game hasn’t been canceled like many believe, but rather, it’s still an active project but never fully green lit until this year. Of course, this nothing but a rumor, but with Spencer’s previous comments singling out Banjo fans as a fanbase that Microsoft “hears,” it’s certainly a hard sell that it isn’t whipping something up.
It’s been over two decades since the the bear and his feathered companion got a mainline entry with Banjo-Tooie back in 2000. Of course, there were others, like Nuts & Bolts, but lump it into the ethos of spin-offs due to just how much changed with the IP. Rare moved on from the platformer and has contently been keeping things fresh for Sea of Thieves fans while also working on its newest IP, Everwild.
We don’t think this game getting canned is out of the picture, but we certainly feel like Microsoft would know better to rock the boat of a famished fanbase when it’s struggling to keep up with the ever-more-popular PS5.
(FYI) Insider Nate Drake has said that a New Banjo Kazooie is coming
"It's still an active project, but it didn't get the green light until early last year. There is a lot to do and development can change a lot (abandoned ideas, internal reboots, etc.)
Also, Phil said: "Banjo… pic.twitter.com/sQyKlD11bu
— Idle Sloth (@IdleSloth84_) December 29, 2023
For more Smash Jump reads, you can check out Adrian’s thoughts on 2023 and how this year has defined gaming.
