Scalebound is reportedly set to be revived for Nintendo Switch, after previously being an Xbox One exclusive axed by Microsoft.
Developed by PlatinumGames, the open world action role-playing game was mysteriously cancelled by Microsoft in 2017 – which was a surprise considering it was one of the most heavily promoted Xbox One exclusives at the time.
While it was believed to be a lost cause, new reports have claimed Scalebound has been resurrected by Nintendo for the Switch.
While Nintendo Insider reported the original claims, these have now been backed up by sources from fellow gaming site VG247.
Interestingly, this also correlates with comments from Game Informer’s Senior Editor Imran Khan, who referenced a ‘dead and buried’ game which was being revived by Nintendo.
Speaking on the Kinda Funny Games show, Imran said: ‘There’s a game that’s thought to be dead that Nintendo’s reviving, and it’s not one that people would expect. It was very much a title that was dead and buried – very officially cancelled.’
How exactly the game could be revived on Switch is a mystery, with Scalebound originally seeming to take full advantage of the more powerful Xbox One. Whether this means we’ll see a very different version of Scalebound, or if they’ve simply scaled (ahem) back the graphics, remains to be seen.
While there’s a lot to suggest it is happening, it’s important to note this is still just a rumour – with speculation about Nintendo being unreliable at the best of times.
If you want to disregard such warnings, however, Scalebound’s director Hideki Kamiya previously told GameCentral the game was an especially important project for him, which was in and out of production on numerous occasions.
‘After I left Capcom and we established PlatinumGames, the kernel of the Scalebound idea was actually one of the first concept pitches. The other one was Bayonetta, and we had a few others,’ Kamiya said.
‘For one reason or another we went with Bayonetta first, but at that point it was not even dragons; it was dinosaurs. But the common theme here is that I wanted to realise this game in the way that these two large-scale creatures were going at each other, and how can we make this work where you are not just the observer of what’s taking place but helping as well.’
He added: ‘Dragons and a fantasy world setting were something that I’ve always wanted to make as a game. So we made the prototype, but unfortunately it didn’t really make it to the point where we had a publishing partner that we could proceed with further and really make the game. So again, it went back into the closet.
‘Then I worked on The Wonderful 101. That came and went and now, again, it was time to bring it back out and see what we can do again.’
PlatinumGames and Nintendo have worked together on a number of different games already, starting with Wii U exclusive The Wonderful 101 in 2013. Nintendo then helped revive Bayonetta for a sequel on Wii U, with a third entry already planned for Switch.
The developer also recently announced another exclusive for the Nintendo Switch in Astral Chain, which is set to be released later this year.
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