Weirdly enough, #RareIsComing is the latest gaming trend hit, and gamers can only imagine exactly what it’s supposed to mean. Are we in for some more info regarding Rare’s recently-announced Everwild title? Does this have something to do with the new holiday-themed Sea of Thieves update? Could we possibly be in for yet another new IP from these beloved developers?
Sorry to dash the hopes and dreams of everyone who can’t quite let go of the N64 era, but, no — unfortunately not. Though it would seem like the hashtag relates directly to one of Microsoft’s most darling developers, it’s actually part of the marketing campaign for pop star Selena Gomez’s new record. Apparently titled “Rare,” the Twitter account Selena Gomez Charts announced today that the former Disney star’s new disc will drop on the tenth of January. Though this is exciting news for Selena fans, it is a disappointing tease for those hoping for a Banjo Kazooie remake.
Disheartened Rare fans took to the social media site to (sarcastically) voice their disdain with the mixup. “This hashtag is disgusting and misleading and it is giving us TRUE rare fans false hope that the developers are returning to form,” wrote Triple-Q, a graphic designer and YouTuber. “Selina Gomez is a false messiah, and I will not stand for this.”
The official Rare Twitter account — the one that doesn’t have anything to do with Selina Gomez — clarified that #RareIsComing has nothing to do with it. Really, hilarious as the mixup is, it only serves to remind most of us of just how painfully absent Rare has been over the past several gaming generations.
Gomez has yet to respond to the controversy, though her Twitter account did announce that #RareIsComing is currently the number-one trending hashtag. Of course, whoever runs her account failed to mention that some of this is undoubtedly due to the mix-up, and the crown of the highest-trending hashtag of the twenty-third of December should be returned to #ilovedogs, it’s rightful owner… probably.
Taking things further down the rabbit hole, a quick Google search reveals that Gomez actually partnered with Xbox in 2013 to promote a charity concert. She spoke briefly about the virtues of charity work but later expounded on her love for Xbox’s all-in-one entertainment shtick. Obviously, this partnership never truly went away, as this hashtag debacle proves that the singer remains a Microsoft sleeper agent paid to subtly promote Xbox-related products. Wake up, people, the gaming Illuminati is real!
