Smash Bros Ultimate won’t feature Banjo-Kazooie as a playable character, with Nintendo making the announcement during today’s Smash Bros Direct that the full character list has now been revealed.
Banjo-Kazooie was previously rumored to appear in the game following a leak in October, when a Snapchat user seemingly handling the marketing items for the game shared images of the character alongside Smash Bros Ultimate artwork. The “leak” appeared credible enough, though it seems that today’s Smash Direct has invalidated its existence. The only new characters announced were Street Fighter‘s Ken, who had appeared in the leak, along with Incineroar and Piranha Plant, the latter of which is only available as a limited-time offer for those who purchase the Fighter’s Pass.
The anthropomorphic bear/bird combo looked set to make the Smash Bros series for the first time ever, with Microsoft holding the rights to the IP. Though Banjo-Kazooie was first released on the Nintendo 64, the license is held by Rare, a studio which Microsoft purchased back in 2002 for a reported $375 million. However, during today’s Nintendo Direct, it was announced that the Smash Bros Ultimate roster has now been finalized. Only Street Fighter‘s Ryu and Pokemon‘s
Banjo-Kazooie’s appearance in Smash Bros Ultimate would have marked the latest collaboration between Microsoft and Nintendo, with the two console giants having previously allowed for cross-platform play between the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Microsoft has also previously allowed rival console manufacturers to use its owned property, with Minecraft appearing on both the PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Banjo-Kazooie fans will be disappointed that the character isn’t set to make its way to Smash Bros. Previously, Xbox boss Phil Spencer had stated that he wanted Banjo-Kazooie to debut in the series, leading many to believe the rumor that it’d pop up in Smash Bros Ultimate.
But there’s still time for a late Banjo-Kazooie appearance. The announcement of further DLC as part of the Fighter’s Pass indicates that more DLC is on its way, and the Rare character could well be a downloadable character in the future. Unfortunately, it does seem to nullify the credibility of the exciting “leak,” so we also won’t be seeing Golden Sun‘s Isaac.
