A New Banjo-Kazooie Game May Finally Be In Development

Platformers may not be as popular as they once were but if you’re anything like me, it’s a genre full of childhood nostalgia - and it’s never too late for the trusty platformer to make a comeback. If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is available to download right now and 00s icon Kao The Kangaroo recently returned with a brand new adventure which we deemed a celebration of “the golden age of the 3D platforming genre.”

After a 14 year hiatus, yet another plaforming icon could be set to return to the gaming scene as it looks like a brand new Banjo-Kazooie game could be on the way. Platforming fans, it’s our time to rise.

Take a look at Kao in action in Tate Multimedia’s Kao The Kangaroo trailer below.

Like most platformers, Banjo-Kazooie has a dedicated legion of fans who have been demanding a reboot for quite some time and just last year, that possibility seemed more likely than ever. Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed that Xbox Game Pass was being used to track which older games had reboot potential so naturally, fans flocked to play their favourite retro titles.

The thing is, Rare have been extremely busy with Sea of Thieves, but Banjo-Kazooie could still live on. Last month, ResetEra insider NateDrake teased that a new Banjo-Kazooie game was in development. The user confirmed that whilst “There is a Banjo project in development, where and when it shows up is speculation.”

It didn’t give us much to go on, but now Xbox insider eXstas1s is backing NateDrake announcing that he’s also heard that a Banjo-Kazooie game is in development. The YouTuber suggested that development may have passed over to Sackboy studio Sumo Digital, although this is based on speculation. The general idea is that Rare won’t be developing the reboot.

As always, this all has to be taken with a huge pinch of salt until anything is officially confirmed but it certainly seems to be a rumour that’s gaining traction.