No, Playtonic Isn't Working on a New Banjo-Kazooie

Rumors of Playtonic Games' absorption have been greatly exaggerated. At least, that's what the Yooka-Laylee developer would like you to know, as rampant speculation led to theories that Microsoft was interested in purchasing the company, or at least recruiting them for a new Banjo game.

The evidence put forward in ResetEra thread yesterday strung together the hiring of Ed Bryan, a former Rare dev and Banjo-Kazooie character artist, as well as tweets of a Microsoft bag and other responses, as proof that something was in the works. It quickly gained traction, because who doesn't want more Banjo in their lives?

Playtonic Games posted a statement on Twitter today, saying it is not working on a new Banjo-Kazooie game and it remains an independent studio. "While we would love to work with the bear and bird again, that ball isn't in our court," the statement reads.

The response also pokes a little fun at the theorizing on ResetEra and other forums that picked it up. "At first, we found it amusing that Ed Bryan's bag is being used as serious 'evidence,'" Playtonic Games writes. "But we reckon it wouldn't be fair if we didn't set the record straight."

Playtonic Games recently launched Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, a follow-up to its 3D platformer Yooka-Laylee. The studio is no stranger to the ursine-avian duo, and the first Yooka-Laylee captured a lot of the same spirit, but for now, it looks like Playtonic Games is content to work on its own projects.

If you really want a new Banjo-Kazooie, the pair recently joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. And while that's not the same as collecting hundreds of collectibles, you might get some catharsis out of slamming opponents off the stage with Banjo's brutal shoulder-check charge.