Yooka-Laylee Studio Debunks Microsoft Buyout Rumors
Developer Playtonic Games has brought to life two acclaimed games in the Yooka-Laylee series, each taking great inspiration from the classic likes of Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country. One wouldn’t expect any less from a team of former Rare employees, though, it appears fans have let their expectations run too wild as of late, with speculation presuming that Playtonic was bought out by Microsoft.
The rumors began following a post made by Playtonic dev Ed Bryan, depicting an image of a Microsoft-themed backpack the ex-Rare artist intended to bring “out of retirement.” Resetera ran wild with theories, the consensus landing on the idea that the Yooka-Laylee studio had been bought out by Microsoft. Considering Bryan’s past connection to Rare and the Banjo-Kazooie series, some went as far as to speculate that a new Banjo-Kazooie game could be underway by Playtonic, with a potential announcement planned for X019 later this month.
Well, I never really had any plans to use this again. pic.twitter.com/r3wS18vrrR
— Ed Bryan (@ItsMingyJongo) November 3, 2019
It’s come out of retirement!
— Ed Bryan (@ItsMingyJongo) November 4, 2019
Though gaining decent traction, it looks like all of this sleuthing was ultimately for naught. Playtonic recently took to social media to address the growing speculation, denying a high-profile Microsoft acquisition had taken place. While professing they “would love to work with the bear and bird again,” the studio also denied any current work on a new Banjo-Kazooie game, assuring fans that “that ball isn’t in our court.”
“While we would love to work with the bear and bird again, that ball isn’t in our court,” the statement read. “With that said, we are keen to continue progressing as a studio, carrying the experience of games we worked on, old and new, to create new characters and adventure for you to (hopefully) love. We’re sorry if this isn’t what you wanted to hear from us. At first, we found it amusing that Ed Bryan’s bag is being used as serious ‘evidence,’ but we reckon it wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t set the record straight.”
A statement from us! pic.twitter.com/nZHqI5GaYe
— Playtonic (@PlaytonicGames) November 6, 2019
The idea of a new Banjo-Kazooie game from the studio behind Yooka-Laylee is undeniably enticing, one that a good portion of the internet was certainly ready to believe. However, such a match-up doesn’t appear to be in the cards, but that’s not to say Playtonic doesn’t already have a worthwhile property on their hands. This year’s Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair memorably traded the series’ 3D adventure genre to a 2D platformer, pulling off a creatively distinct sequel in the process.
What do you think? Are you bummed that a new Banjo-Kazooie isn’t on the way from Playtonic, or are you glad the Yooka-Laylee studio is staying independent? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
