The highly-anticipated action RPG Scalebound has been cancelled, much to the dismay of PlatinumGames fans.
Earlier today, Kotaku reported that Scalebound was officially cancelled and that Microsoft and PlatinumGames were no longer working together. This story has since been corroborated by sites such as Polygon and Eurogamer, as well as by an official statement from Microsoft:
“After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for Scalebound. We’re working hard to deliver an amazing lineup of games to our fans this year, including Halo Wars 2, Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves and other great experiences.”
Despite appearing at E3 2016, Scalebound has apparently been in development hell. Several senior PlatinumGames members were reported to have taken a month off of work last fall due to the heavy workload, causing the game to fall behind schedule. This delay, combined with purported game engine problems and several other delays, might be why Microsoft finally decided to cancel the game.
Scalebound was created by Hideki Kamiya, the director of games such as Resident Evil 2 and Bayonetta, for the Xbox One and Windows 10. Players would have explored a fantasy world alongside a customizable dragon the protagonist playfully calls “Big Guy.” The game could have been played alone or with up to four player co-op.
As of this moment Scalebound is officially cancelled, but if PlatinumGames decides to revive the project, Gamespresso will be there to spread the news.