Of the many, many dormant IP Microsoft now owns, one of the ones that fans have been dreaming of a revival for the longest is Banjo-Kazooie. In an official capacity, though the demand for a new Banjo game has certainly not gone unacknowledged, there has been little concrete evidence to suggest that one might actually been in the works- though unofficially, that’s exactly what rumours seem to be claiming.
Recently, prominent leaker NateTheHate claimed on ResetEra that a new Banjo game was officially greenlit back in early 2022, before adding that there’s still plenty of work to be done on the game, and that in these early stages of development, there’s plenty that is far from set in stone about what the project will end up being.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about new Banjo game being in the works. If one is indeed in development, it would be interesting to see what studio is in charge of the project. Microsoft has previously said that whether or not a new Banjo game gets made will be up to series developer Rare, but Rare is, of course, busy with Sea of Thieves and Everwild.
Then again, with the likes of Toys for Bob and Double Fine Productions under its belt, it’s not like Microsoft’s first party lineup is lacking in firepower where platformers are concerned.