
We've been hearing for years and years and years about how Xbox might do something with the Banjo-Kazooie IP at some point in the future, but as things stand, it doesn't seem like anything particularly noteworthy is happening.
A lot of people have shown support for it, including the CEO of Moon Studios (best known for creating Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps) who suggested on social media over the weekend that Xbox could "rival 3D Mario" both in quality and revenue if they gave a new Banjo game to a "really talented developer".
Here's what the CEO, Thomas Mahler, had to say about Banjo-Kazooie specifically:
"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."
Mahler's comments were actually in reply to someone who asked how the Ori IP would have developed alongside Xbox, where he suggested that a jump to 3D and experimenting with other genres "could have happened in time".
He also mentioned how he feels that Xbox is lacking in the family friendly department as things stand:
"Xbox doesn’t really have any family friendly titles now, at least nothing of quality that they’re known for.
That’s what I hoped Microsoft would see in Ori, but Xbox is clearly about Halo, Gears and Forza and nothing else really got all that much attention."
Despite this, Mahler mentioned in an interview last year that he hopes to work with Xbox in the future and there wasn't a bad ending to the partnership for Ori - and of course, Moon Studios' No Rest for the Wicked will release on Xbox as well.
In terms of the Banjo and "family friendly" thing, we can't help but agree with Mahler here! That said though, it's one thing to suggest a "really talented developer" and another to actually find one, and clearly Xbox boss Phil Spencer has heard the community's calls for a new game - he even told us as such back in December of 2023.
We're willing to bet that Xbox will make a bigger push in the family friendly space in years to come, especially now that Activision is on board with the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. Whether we'll get a new Banjo-Kazooie game still remains to be seen though... for whatever reason, the stars clearly haven't aligned for Team Xbox as of yet.