At Least Three Studios Have Pitched a New Banjo-Kazooie Game, Says Series Composer

At least three studios have pitched a new Banjo-Kazooie game to Microsoft or Rare, according to the series' composer Grant Kirkhope, who says the once-dead franchise may now have a "slight chance" of returning.

Kirkhope, who wrote the music for the original Banjo-Kazooie games released in the late 1990s and early 2000s, shared the detail in an interview with FRVR published on 3 September 2026. He said the pitches came from external developers who "actually, physically pitched" to Microsoft or Rare — not casual interest, but formal proposals (VGC).

Kirkhope did not name the studios, and said he was not sure whether any of the pitches had been successful. One studio understood to have pitched is Toys for Bob, the developer behind the modern Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon remakes, according to VGC. Another developer said to be interested is Moon Studios, the team behind the Ori games — critically acclaimed platformers published by Microsoft. A designer at Moon Studios also recently published an impressive-looking Banjo-Kazooie fan game built in Dreams, PlayStation's user-generated-content tool, as VGC reported.

For fans who have waited nearly two decades for a proper sequel, the detail that matters is the shift in tone. Kirkhope said he has gone from believing there was "zero chance" of a revival to seeing a "slight chance." He attributed Rare's more open attitude to a leadership change at the studio following the departure of Craig Duncan, who served as studio head.

Kirkhope also said the future of Banjo-Kazooie likely lies outside Rare itself, because the studio is too busy with Sea of Thieves — a live-service game, sold and updated in seasons after launch — and other projects. That would be a notable shift: Rare created the franchise and developed its first two games before the series went dormant after 2008's Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

Toys for Bob has been vocal about its interest. The studio stated in July 2026 that it still wants to work on a Banjo-Kazooie game, describing itself as "huge fans" of the franchise (VGC). The studio's track record with Crash and Spyro gives it a credible claim: both were beloved dormant platforming franchises that Toys for Bob helped bring back to commercial success.

Not everyone is convinced the audience is there. Kirkhope himself has questioned whether enough players would actually buy a new Banjo-Kazooie game, even after the characters' popular guest appearance in Nintendo's crossover fighter Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He previously cast doubt on the series returning despite that spotlight.

Microsoft owns the Banjo-Kazooie IP through its 2002 acquisition of Rare. Whether any of the pitches become a real project is still unknown. But for a franchise that has spent years in limbo, three formal proposals — and a composer cautiously upgrading his odds from zero to slight — is more movement than Banjo-Kazooie has seen in a long time.