After months of speculation, Nintendo confirmed theDonkey Kong Bananzadevelopment team is the same one that madeSuper Mario Odyssey. The upcoming 3D platformer is the long-awaited next mainline entry in theDonkey Kongseries, in which players take control of Donkey Kong and Pauline as they dig under the earth to track down Banandium Gems and the power to make a wish.Donkey Kong Bananzawas originally revealed during the Switch 2 Direct stream on June 11, 2025, and Nintendo delved further into the game’s mechanics and story in another stream on July 27, 2025.
Since its original reveal, Nintendo has kept the development studio behindDonkey Kong Bananzaa secret, which led fans to run wild with theories. Thanks to certain stylistic choices andDK Bananzagameplay elementsrevealed in footage from these two streams, many believed that the team that madeSuper Mario Odysseywould eventually be revealed to be the developers behindDonkey Kong Bananza.
Nintendo finally confirmed these rumors at a recentDonkey Kong Bananzahands-on preview event. According toShacknews, the same teams at Nintendo that made Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development and 1-Up Studio, are heading the development ofDonkey Kong Bananza. However, Nintendo has yet to reveal which specific members of are working onDonkey Kong Bananza.
The Super Mario Odyssey Team Is Developing Donkey Kong Bananza
The critically acclaimedSuper Mario Odysseywas released a few months after the original Nintendo Switch console launch in 2017. Eight years later, it is still the most recent mainlineSuper Mariogame, and many have wondered what Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development has been working on since. As it turns out, the original developers have been at the helm ofDonkey Kong Bananza, a fitting game for a team that created one of thebest 3D platformersin recent years.
Several signs in official footage pointed to theSuper Mario Odysseyteam being theDonkey Kong Bananzadevelopment studio. For example, shops revealed in gameplay footage from the two Nintendo Direct streams had a very similar artistic design and UI as those found throughoutSuper Mario Odyssey. Many also noticed that the screen that pops up when Donkey Kong picks up a Banandium Gem is similar to when Mario collects a Power Moon inSuper Mario Odyssey. And, lastly, Pauline is the Mayor of New Donk City inSuper Mario Odysseyandreturns as a young girl inDonkey Kong Bananza,which could indicate a connection between the two games beyond just the dev team.
Though this news bodes well for the quality of Nintendo’s first major post-launch Switch 2 title, it does mean fans will have to wait longer for thenext flagship 3DSuper Mariogame. If most of the originalSuper Mario Odysseydevelopers are back, it’s all but sure to be another instant classic 3D platformer from one of Nintendo’s best-regarded internal teams.
