Toys for Bob Wants to Develop a New Banjo Kazooie Game for Xbox

Toys for Bob has expressed interest in creating a new Banjo Kazooie game if Xbox gives the studio an opportunity to work with the classic platforming series.

The studio is currently developing Spyro: A Realm Reborn for Xbox, so any Banjo Kazooie project would likely remain several years away. However, comments from studio leadership show that the team has strong interest in the franchise and believes it matches the kind of games it wants to make.

Associate Creative Director Louis Studdert and Studio Head Paul Yan said several employees at Toys for Bob are dedicated Banjo Kazooie fans. They also described the characters as timeless and closely connected to the studio’s focus on colourful games that appeal to players of different ages.

The comments do not confirm that discussions with Xbox are underway. No new Banjo Kazooie game has been announced, and Microsoft has not said whether it plans to revive the series.

Toys for Bob has experience with modern platforming games

Toys for Bob appears to be a natural candidate because of its history with major platforming franchises. The studio developed Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and worked on the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, both of which required it to update older characters while preserving their established identity.

That experience could be useful for Banjo Kazooie. A new game would need to retain the humour, exploration, music, characters, and collectible focused design associated with the original releases. It would also need more modern movement, camera controls, accessibility options, and level design.

The original Banjo Kazooie arrived in 1998 and became one of Rare’s best known Nintendo 64 games. Banjo Tooie followed in 2000, while Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts took the series in a vehicle building direction in 2008.

Xbox has continued to include the characters in older game collections, backward compatibility releases, and guest appearances, but it has not produced a full new Banjo Kazooie adventure in nearly two decades.

Xbox has several options for bringing the series back

A completely new game is only one possible direction. Microsoft could begin with remakes of Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie, giving a new audience access to the original adventures with updated visuals and controls.

A reboot could also introduce the characters through a new story while using familiar locations, abilities, and supporting characters. This approach would give the developer more freedom to modernize the design without recreating every part of the older games.

Rare remains the studio most closely connected to Banjo Kazooie, but it has spent recent years supporting Sea of Thieves and working on other projects. Microsoft could therefore assign the franchise to an external partner while Rare provides creative guidance.

Toys for Bob would still need to complete Spyro: A Realm Reborn before taking on another large platformer. Game development schedules also mean that even an approved project would probably not release soon.

For now, the studio’s comments show that there is genuine interest from an experienced development team. The final decision belongs to Xbox, which must determine whether Banjo Kazooie fits its future content strategy and whether the company is prepared to invest in a modern revival.