Xbox fans have wanted a new Banjo-Kazooie game for the longest time, preferably one that focuses on platforming instead of making vehicles. Despite plenty of interest surrounding Banjo, especially when the first game was brought to the Switch’s N64 emulator, Xbox just doesn’t have any plans for the platforming icon.
Gaming insider Jez Corden has said that no Banjo game is currently in development on his YouTube channel. While fans on the Gaming Leaks subreddit are hoping that this is a major misdirect, the “report” is pretty easy to believe since Xbox hasn’t done anything with this series.
The news is really disappointing, especially since Banjo-Kazooie received a ton of attention whenever he appeared on a Nintendo system. Aside from the Banjo games on the N64 emulator, the character’s inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate caused quite a ruckus when it happened. Unfortunately, that was years ago and we haven’t seen Xbox do anything with Banjo since.
Right now, the closest thing fans have to a classic Banjo game is flawed platformer Yooka-Laylee. Luckily, the developers are completely reworking the game with a brand-new remaster called Yooka-Replaylee, which looks pretty great. Hopefully, the devs learn from what happened at launch and we get a much more coherent experience at launch.
It is odd how Xbox isn’t doing anything with the Banjo-Kazooie series, especially since fans are gravitating towards colorful platformers again. PlayStation’s upcoming Astro Bot gained plenty of positive reactions from players who saw it, so fans clearly want more games like it. A new Banjo game would be a breath of fresh air right now, given how dark some of the upcoming Xbox exclusives look.
Fans who are desperate for more Banjo-Kazooie can always pick up the first two remasters on the Xbox store. There’s also Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, which is either an abomination or an underrated gem depending on who you ask, but it’s also available on Xbox stores.