ROM files for Project Dream, a canceled proof-of-concept RPG developed by Rare that eventually evolved into Banjo-Kazooie, have been released online. Alpha footage shows a single character model and jungle environments that appear more advanced than typical Super Nintendo games, though the build was only a prototype for a fuller game that was ultimately canceled and reworked by Rare in 1997 after 16 months in development, largely due to technical problems.
The build was uploaded to the Internet Archive on September 9 by a user going by "FvckAsha&Phil," an apparent reference to current Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and former Xbox chief Phil Spencer. The uploader describes the file as a "SNES proof-of-concept alpha" of a game referred to as Dream: Land of Giants, and says they obtained it "from someone who got it from someone, who got it from somewhere," declining to share further details in order to avoid getting anyone in trouble.
According to background provided in the coverage, development on Project Dream began around 1995. The game eventually grew too ambitious for the SNES, prompting a shift to development for the N64, where it evolved into more of a pirate-themed game and swapped its original young human protagonist for a side character named Banjo. After the team saw what would become Conker's Bad Fur Day, the project shifted again into a platformer, a genre they were more comfortable with. The game's original villain, Captain Blackeye, later appeared as a cameo in Banjo-Kazooie complaining about a bear stealing his glory.
The leaker explained their reasoning in a manifesto-style writeup, citing "Microsoft's current heartless gutting and mismanagement of Rare and other companies it controls" and stating a desire for the prototype to be "properly preserved" and dissected by knowledgeable community members. They expressed hope that the release would inspire others to share preserved material they may be holding onto, specifically mentioning an out-there prototype of Conker Twelve Tales for the N64.
The leaker's statement also criticized the broader state of the gaming industry, saying there is "little joy left in the industry" as it moves toward AI, layoffs, and anti-preservation practices, and specifically accused Microsoft of "support and approval of literal genocide in Gaza." They urged people to "delete Microsoft and Sony" from their lives, install Linux, boycott Nintendo Switch Game Key Cards, and buy Switch 2 titles that include full games on cartridge, arguing that consumer spending is what matters most.
The release comes after Microsoft's downsizing efforts this year, which began in July with 1,600 job cuts and are expected to result in 1,600 more redundancies by the end of Microsoft's 2027 fiscal year. Rare's in-development project Everwild was canceled amid these cuts after six years in development. This is part of a broader wave of industry layoffs, with an estimated 45,000 jobs cut across the games industry between 2022 and 2025.