Spyro And Crash Bandicoot Reboot Studio, Toys For Bob, Wants To Bring Back Banjo-Kazooie Next
"I think we can all agree Banjo's been hibernating long enough, right?" Toys for Bob co-studio head and creative director Paul Yan said.
No one is doing more for mascot platformers than Toys for Bob. Since 2018, the formerly Microsoft-owned studio has released the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Crash Bandicoot 4, and Crash Team Rumble, reinvigorating two beloved but largely stagnant franchises. Now, Toys for Bob co-studio head and creative director Paul Yan says the studio has its eyes on another iconic platforming series: Banjo-Kazooie.
In a recent interview with CanadianGuyEh--which was then reported by Windows Central--Yan discussed Toys for Bob's upcoming projects. On top of seemingly teasing a new entry in the Spyro the Dragon series, Yan expressed the team's desire to work with Xbox on bringing back the dynamic bird and bear duo, Banjo-Kazooie.
"One company we'd like to work with is one we're already working with--Team Xbox! They've been a great partner and they also have a very interesting roster of characters that Toys for Bob could have a lot of fun with. The honey bear is the first one that comes to mind--I think we can all agree Banjo's been hibernating long enough, right?" Yan said.
Though this certainly doesn't mean a Banjo-Kazooie remake or reboot is already in the works, Toys for Bob's past work and relationship with Xbox makes this collaboration seem more like a matter of "when" than "if." Despite the studio breaking apart from the Microsoft-owned studio Activision back in 2023, it has continued to work closely with Xbox, and is currently collaborating with the company on an upcoming project that many speculate to be Spyro the Dragon 4. Though Yan said he "can't spill the beans just yet" on the upcoming project, he assured fans that development is going well.
"I will say that we're very much in the thick of development. The team is very thrilled about how the experience is shaping up. This game is big and ambitious and pushes our craft to new heights."
Prior to leaving Activision, Toys for Bob had been moved from working on the whimsical platformers it's known for to assist the Call of Duty series as a support studio. According to a former senior concept artist, Nicholas Kole, the team was also forced to scrap Crash Bandicoot 5. After 86 employees were laid off from the studio as a part of Microsoft's 2023 mass layoffs, the studio sought, and was given, independence.
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