While Rare, now a Microsoft studio, is busy with their recently launched online action game Sea of Thieves, the developer used to be known for colorful platforming games like Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Banjo-Kazooie, among other games.

Now, we’ve learned (via IGN) Rare is open to letting other studios work on new games based on their intellectual properties, leading us to believe the developer won’t return to fan-favorite IPs of the past.

Rare studio head Craig Duncan said that the developer is willing to hand off one of their IPs to “the right team” with the “right creativity”, noting that their studio gets tons of pitches to revive old IPs.

“Rare has this 32-year back catalog of heritage and IP, and while I wouldn’t say we were Disney or even Nintendo or SEGA or any of the other kind of long-term IP stalwarts in our business, people ask us to use stuff,” he said.

Duncan pointed to IPs that have already been worked on by other developers, like Killer Instinct (which was co-developed by Double Helix and Iron Galaxy), as well as Project Spark, which had their iconic foul-mouthed squirrel Conker in an episodic campaign for the DIY game-creator.

“It’s absolutely not out of the realm of possibility, but not only does the ‘why’ have to be right, but the team, and the people, and ‘who’ have to be right,” Duncan said. However, the studio boss was keen to point out, “Rare is the guardian of Rare’s IP.”

Lastly, Duncan said that anything is possible in the future, with the right conditions. “Who knows what the future holds?” he said.

Would you like to see a beloved Rare IP return via a new developer? Which IP? Sound off in the comments below!