After 15 Years, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer Hints at Banjo-Kazooie Revival
It’s been 15 long years since the last Banjo-Kazooie game was released, and fans have been eagerly awaiting a revival. Now, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has finally acknowledged the hopes of the franchise’s loyal fanbase.
In an interview with Windows Central published on Friday, Spencer briefly mentioned the Banjo-Kazooie community and their repeated pleas for a new game when asked about types of games that might see revivals.
“You’ve seen from our history that we haven’t touched every franchise that people would love us to touch — Banjo fans, I hear you,” Spencer said. “But it is true that, when we find the right team, and the right opportunity, I love going back to revisit stories and characters that we’ve seen previously.”
Spencer also discussed the process of reviving an old franchise, emphasizing the importance of involving the original developers before committing to a project.
“There has to be passion in the team behind the projects. That doesn’t mean that the team has to be the original team, every time. I’m not one to come in and take a franchise from a team and remove them from the discussion or development process on how something new gets built. I think the original creators, the culture — frankly, some of the lessons we’ve learned from past experiences here are very important.”
Rumors of a new Banjo-Kazooie game have consistently popped up every few years since Nuts and Bolts was released in 2008, although a former developer called the franchise’s return unlikely earlier this year. Still, the franchise was ranked among the top Xbox franchises that deserve to return.
Unless Spencer’s remark is a hint at an actual Banjo-Kazooie revival, the closest thing to a recently released game that fans of the franchise have is Yooka-Laylee, the spiritual successor made by several developers of the original Banjo-Kazooie.IGN gave it a 7 in 2017, saying “this genre, once thought to be dead, still has some life left in it.”
While this news is exciting, fans will have to wait for more concrete details about a potential Banjo-Kazooie revival. The gaming community will undoubtedly be eagerly anticipating any announcements regarding the beloved franchise’s future.