It's been a whopping 11 years since the release of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts on the Xbox 360, and the franchise has been dormant ever since. However, a new rumor making the rounds suggests that a brand new Banjo-Kazooie  game could be announced as early as Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference on June 9.

This of course led to speculation that the new figure, which is of Banjo with Kazooie in his backpack, is being made to coincide with the announcement of a new Banjo-Kazooie game. Another Twitter user noted a pattern where Exquisite Gaming has released new figures to coincide with game releases in the past, like a Spyro figure for Spyro: Reignited Trilogy and a Crash figure for Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, for example.

Exquisite Gaming responded to this tweet by saying, "We couldn't possibly say!" This has further fueled speculation and rumors that a new Banjo-Kazooie game is set to be announced at Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference on June 9.

We haven't heard anything substantial about a new Banjo-Kazooie game for quite some time, so fans should certainly keep their expectations in check. The leaked Microsoft E3 2019 press conference doesn't make mention of a new Banjo-Kazooie game, though it does say that Rare is working on a "next-gen game." Rare has had a tendency to focus on new IP and have other studios work with its classics in recent years, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that the studio would return to the Banjo-Kazooie franchise.

Some fans have noticed that the Banjo backpack seen on the figure is different than the one from the games, so perhaps we'll get a remake or remaster instead. Or maybe we'll get a Banjo-Kazooie Super Smash Bros. Ultimate announcement as has been rumored in the past, which is something Head of Xbox Phil Spencer himself would like to see. Whatever the case may be, fans won't have to wait long to find out if there's any truth to the Banjo-Kazooie rumors, as Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference is less than a week away.

Banjo-Kazooie is available now for Nintendo 64 and Xbox 360.