Rumour has it that an announcement could be made during tonight’s Xbox/Bethesda E3 replacement show.

ModernVintageGamer, aka MVG, may be familiar from YouTube, but as a developer at NightDive Studios, he can also be treated as somewhat of an insider. On Nate the Hate’s podcast, he talked about how he thinks Banjo-Kazooie will be announced here by Microsoft: “Banjo will be at this show, and it will be announced. I have spoken to many people, and I’m not an insider. I’m a developer, but sometimes I hear things. And I was at GDC earlier this year, and some people were talking about Banjo. I’ve heard Banjo’s coming up for months from different people. Something’s happening with Banjo. What I can’t tell you is what that is. I feel that there will be a Banjo announcement at this show because I just keep hearing about Banjo.” He claims it would make sense because Microsoft doesn’t have a family-friendly first-party, internally developed game, and Banjo IP could fill that void.

In 2020, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said of the subject, “I leave it up to the studios in terms of the things they want to go work on. I have a lot of respect for Rare and its work. They like building new things and have seen success with Sea of Thieves. I think they’re excited about Everwild. But also, the response to Battletoads was nice. And I think [partner studio] Dlala did a good job with the game. And so I think it’s just always a balance. My inbox is full of: ‘Let every studio do new [intellectual property].’ And also: ‘Why have you brought back Crimson Skies and Blinx?'”

And in September 2019, Banjo-Kazooie character artist Steve Mayles urged that after the success of the Crash Bandicoot remasters. It would be Banjo’s turn, as after appearing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a remaster would prove the interest. After the success of that remaster, a new instalment could be considered: “Now [Banjo and Kazooie] have returned in Smash [Bros. Ultimate], I was surprised by the reception. Part of it is being away for so long, and part is returning to a Nintendo console. And maybe just a small part because they are decent characters! Could fans’ reaction to Banjo and Kazooie in Smash persuade Microsoft to make another Banjo game? The revival of Spyro and Crash went pretty well after all… A fairly safe way to gauge demand for a new game would be a remaster of the original two games. Then if the interest is there perhaps, we could see Banjo return in the new no-expense-spared game he and Kazooie deserve.”

He’s got a point, doesn’t he?

Source: VGC