While the studio prepares for the release of *Spyro: A Realm Beyond*, its staff have once again expressed their desire to tackle a dormant Rare franchise. In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, Toys for Bob studio head Paul Yan and associate creative director Lou Studdert responded to a question about potentially working on *Banjo-Kazooie* with characteristic irony: “How often, exactly?” The joke is clear: talk of the bear and bird’s return has been circulating for years, yet nothing has ever come of it.
Studdert, however, was completely serious: “It’s a franchise we adore. As platformer fans, we consider *Banjo* the pinnacle of the genre. We have people on our team with a Jiggy as their avatar—that’s the level of dedication we’re talking about.” He added, “If the opportunity ever arose, it would be incredible.”
For Toys for Bob, such a project would be a logical step. The studio has already proven its ability to handle classics: *Spyro Reignited Trilogy* (2018) and *Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time* (2020) set the standard for how to revive old franchises. With *Crash 4*, the team succeeded in preserving the spirit of the original while expanding the mechanics for a modern audience. They also have experience working with Microsoft; the studio signed a publishing agreement with Xbox back in 2024 and is currently collaborating with the publisher on *Spyro: A Realm Beyond*. It would seem that taking on *Banjo-Kazooie* would be a sure bet.
However, there is one significant hurdle: Microsoft won’t give the green light. It’s not that the company is indifferent to fan nostalgia—quite the opposite; when Asha Sharma recently opened a “suggestion box” for players, a new *Banjo-Kazooie* title emerged as the most requested project. The head of Xbox even stated that this marks “the beginning of the most significant restructuring in Xbox history.”
This means that, on the cusp of major changes, any decision to launch a costly development project will be driven by profitability rather than sentiment. For the time being, any hopes for an announcement in the coming months can likely be put on hold.
What might the game have looked like? The studio offered no direct hints, but judging by Toys for Bob’s philosophy, it would likely have been a platformer that honored the franchise’s roots—much like *Spyro Reignited* and *Crash 4*. It would probably have avoided radical experiments like *Nuts & Bolts*, a 2008 title that disappointed fans by shifting genres. But for now, this is all speculation. What matters more is that the developers’ enthusiasm outweighs the publisher’s appetite for risk.
The bottom line: the desire and the expertise are there, but the final decision rests with Microsoft. The company is currently charting a new course defined by laying off thousands of employees, reevaluating its portfolio, and betting on its biggest, most lucrative IPs. In this climate, announcing a new *Banjo-Kazooie* would likely be a source of alarm for investors rather than a cause for celebration among fans. Still, as the saying goes, it is easy to long for good news—but actually getting it is another matter entirely.
