Spyro remaker and Crash Bandicoot 4 developer Toys for Bob has its eyes set on another iconic platformer: Banjo-Kazooie.
Speaking to Canadian Guy Eh, Toys for Bob co-studio head Paul Yan says “one company we’d like to work with is one we’re already working with: Team Xbox,” who has so far apparently been “a great partner” on the studio’s in-development, unannounced game.
That aside, the other benefit of working with a franchise-hoarding conglomerate is that “they have a very interesting roster of characters that Toys For Bob could have a lot of fun with.” Most notably, with Banjo-Kazooie, the iconic duo who haven’t headlined their own game for 16 years. “The honey bear is the first one that comes to mind,” Yan says. “I think we all can agree Banjo’s been hibernating long enough, right?”
Watch On
Rareware’s Banjo-Kazooie only got two platformers on the N64, but the levels were so creative, the eyes were so googly, and the cast was so sassy that the name has endured ever since. They then had two handheld spin-offs, showed up in one Sonic racing game, and almost broke one corner of the internet by joining Smash Bros Ultimate. Still, their last full game was 2008’s over-hated vehicular experiment Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts.
While Xbox didn’t capitalize on the Smash Bros hype with anything tangible, Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer did offer some vague assurances last year: “Banjo fans, I hear you.”
Regardless, it doesn’t seem like Toys for Bob will get their paws on the bird and bear for a while. The studio is currently occupied doing something else for Xbox and Activision.
For those unfamiliar, Toys for Bob was set up under Activision before making Skylanders, remaking Spyro’s first three games, and reviving Crash Bandicoot with a fourth mainline platformer. Activision then reportedly cancelled a Crash and Spyro crossover game and put the team to work on CoD updates, but the studio then went independent after Microsoft acquired the publisher.
“We ultimately want to inspire love, joy, and laughter for the inner child in all gamers,” Yan says of the studio’s MO. “Toys for Bob is at our best when we’re crafting whimsical worlds full of colorful characters and we’re going to follow our noses to the opportunities and partnerships that align with that vision, whether that’s through original or established IP.”
Yan also explains the team’s next game is “big and ambitious.” A new Crash or Spyro game would be my best guess as to what they’re working on next since the two mascots fall under the Xbox/Activision umbrella, but all of Yan’s email answers were apparently colored purple, so make of that what you will, dear Spyro hopefuls.
For now, check out what new games of 2025 and beyond are definitely being made.
