This gamer is playing an unannounced Xbox port of GoldenEye 007

GoldenEye 007
(Image credit: Rare)

Someone has been unlocking achievements for an Xbox version of GoldenEye 007 - even though a remake of the game for Xbox hasn't been announced yet.

It all comes just a couple of months after achievements for an Xbox version of GoldenEye 007 popped up "out of nowhere" online, even though it's yet to be confirmed as coming to either Xbox Series X or Xbox One. 

"BIGsheep" has been playing the shooter off and on since October 2021, unlocking loads of achievements, most recently one for ruthlessly gunning down a multiplayer opponent without a weapon of their own.

We know this because BIGsheep's profile is completely public and trackable on  TrueAchievements

Perhaps most interestingly of all, VGC purports that BIGsheep is a Rare developer, which would explain why they're playing a game that theoretically doesn't exist yet on Xbox consoles.

It's just the latest in a line of mysteries about the much-wanted port. The rumor mill kicked off into overdrive in February when reports swirled that the as-yet-still unannounced GoldenEye 007 remaster would get released "pretty soon". That turned out not to be, although some are speculating that that may have something to do with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

2022 marks 25 years since the seminal shooter hit the Nintendo 64, so the timing's certainly right for a remake, and let's not forget that GoldenEye 007 was recently removed from Germany's "media harmful to young persons" list 24 years after it was initially banned. 

While banned films and games are automatically unbanned after 25 years, it seems the ban was revoked following a specific request rather than a formality, sparking speculation that the game may shortly be added to the Nintendo eShop in some form or another.

ICYMI, two-hour footage of that canceled remaster of 007’s GoldenEye leaked online this time last year. A "long-play" of the canceled classic took us from the start of the Dam through to the end credits. It's thought the remaster was going to be published by Microsoft in partnership with Activision after they reached a deal with Nintendo to remaster the shooter from the original N64 version released in 1997. Sadly, the project was scrapped due to rights issues.

If you can't wait any longer to reacquaint yourself with Bond, did you know that almost every single-player stage from GoldenEye is now playable in Far Cry 5

For more old-school goodness, hit up the best retro consoles available today. 

Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, 12DOVE

Vikki Blake is 12DOVE's Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.