What you need to know
- A new Xbox.com listing has detailed Achievements for an unannounced GoldenEye 007 remaster developed by UK-based Xbox studio, Rare.
- The GoldenEye 007 remaster has been in the works for over a decade, held back due to licensing disagreements around the 1997 classic.
- The new listing suggests an imminent release on Xbox consoles.
Work to revive GoldenEye 007 for Xbox remains underway — with activity ramping up around the return of the 1997 classic. The title looks set for an imminent re-release, with unlockable Achievements for Nintendo 64 title now listed via the Xbox website, only days ahead of Microsoft’s annual Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase.
Rare has looked to revive GoldenEye 007 for over a decade, though later licensing troubles put the project on ice. The genre-defining shooter first launched as a James Bond movie tie-in, developed by UK-based studio Rare and published on the Nintendo 64 by the platform holder.
Evidence of the new Xbox GoldenEye 007 remaster surfaced earlier this year, with Achievements first documented via TrueAchievements. Matching listings have now hit the Xbox website (via @Wario64), suggesting Microsoft is readying the title for an imminent re-release on the latest Xbox consoles. Achievements indicate that the final remaster will include both its single-player and multiplayer components.
Current Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer previously described GoldenEye 007 rights as “challenging,” despite looking to revive the project multiple times. The Microsoft-owned developer made notable progress on an Xbox 360 version of the title once planned for 2008 yet failed to make agreements with Nintendo and Bond license-holder Eon Productions. "When it was put to Nintendo, everyone there approved it," former Rare artist Ross Bury stated in a later interview. "Except they didn't check with the one guy who mattered.”
GoldenEye 007 remained dormant over the years until a build of the canceled project leaked online in early 2021. The ROM provided a glimpse into the near-complete remaster once headed to its Xbox Live Arcade service, including a toggle between its remastered HD graphics and the original Nintendo 64 assets.
Microsoft hasn’t confirmed plans to re-release GoldenEye 007, though it’s safe to assume we’ll hear more during its upcoming Xbox showcase, scheduled for June 12.
