It has been 17 years since the last entry in the Banjo-Kazooie series, with the beloved mascot making one last appearance as a character in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate back in 2019. Arguably the most recognisable IP from UK based studio Rare, fans have been calling for a new game since Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts n’ Bolts back in 2008.

It seems that fans are not the only ones that want the Bear and the Bird to make a comeback. Thomas Mahler, CEO of Moon Studios the team behind the Ori series and No Rest for the Wicked, feels the same way. This was prompted when the developer was asked a question on Twitter regarding Ori‘s future development.

When talking about Xbox’s lack of family friendly IP, Thomas said “They have been sitting on Banjo Kazooie with nothing happening there even though a really talented developer could probably make a Banjo game that could rival 3D Mario and probably sell similar numbers.”

We saw last year with Team Asobi’s Astrobot that amazing 3D platformers can come from someone other than Nintendo, and this lends some weight to Thomas’ point of pairing the IP with the right developer. It’s not as if Xbox doesn’t have the studios to do the job themselves like Double Fine, or the wallet to work out a partnership with a 3rd party studio like they have done with Toys For Bob.

Sadly, other than spurious rumours floating out on the internet, there is nothing to indicate that Xbox are working on a new entry into the Banjo-Kazooie franchise. Hopefully, with the potential for platformers to make a return in a big way, we might see this dynamic duo back on our screens.

I know I’m not the only one keeping my paws and claws crossed for the fabled Banjo-Threeie!

How do you feel about a new Banjo-Kazooie game? Do you think platformers are making a comeback? Let us know in the comments!