Composer Grant Kirkhope, known for his work on Banjo-Kazooie and the Donkey Kong Rap, says he now sees a "slight chance" of a new mainline Banjo-Kazooie game, having previously believed there was zero prospect of a sequel. He credits the shift to changes in leadership at Rare following former studio head Craig Duncan's departure from Xbox Game Studios, suggesting the developer may now be more receptive to outside pitches, even though it has traditionally rejected most proposals.

Despite the slightly improved outlook, Kirkhope revealed that around three companies have already pitched Banjo-Kazooie projects to Microsoft or Rare without success, and Rare itself is reportedly too stretched to develop a new platformer in-house. It has been almost 30 years since the original N64 game and nearly 20 since Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts on Xbox 360. Kirkhope said he would be keen to return to the series if a new instalment happened, while Toys for Bob, developer of the recent Spyro revival, has previously expressed interest in taking on Banjo too.