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Resident Evil 2 Director Thinks There’s a Chance His Canceled Xbox-Exclusive Will Still Happen
Hideki Kamiya, the Resident Evil 2 director and PlatinumGames co-founder, has said he still hopes his cancelled Xbox-exclusive title Scalebound could one day be revived. Speaking to Video Games Chronicle, Kamiya said he had not personally approached new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma about the project, but used the opportunity to publicly invite Microsoft to revisit it if there is interest. The comments matter because they keep alive the possibility of a project long considered dead, echoing the near two-decade wait Kamiya faced before Okami finally got a sequel.
Scalebound was unveiled at Microsoft's 2014 E3 press conference as an Xbox-exclusive action game featuring a soldier and his dragon companion, but it was cancelled in 2017 after a delay, with Kamiya apologising to fans at the time. He said former colleague Kento Koyama, now CEO of Clovers, would also be willing to return to the project, and recalled a recent dinner with former Scalebound staff where the team fondly remembered working on it despite some difficult periods. Kamiya said he believes strongly enough desire can eventually make a project happen, pointing to Okami's recently confirmed sequel as evidence that patience can pay off.
In short
- Kamiya says he still hopes cancelled Xbox game Scalebound could return
- Scalebound was revealed in 2014, cancelled by Microsoft in 2017
- Former colleague Kento Koyama said to be open to rejoining the project
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Reviving Scalebound could honour the creative ambitions of its original team and give players a chance to experience a project that was cancelled before release. Kamiya says former colleagues would be willing to return, and Okami’s eventual sequel suggests that long-delayed projects can find a path forward when there is sustained interest.
The case against
A revival may be difficult to justify after years of changes in staff, technology and business priorities, especially since the original project was cancelled following delays and difficult periods. Microsoft and the developers would need to weigh the cost and risks against other projects, while recognising that fond memories and public interest do not guarantee the original concept would work today.
Explained simply
Scalebound was an action game planned by Japanese studio PlatinumGames for Microsoft’s Xbox consoles. It was announced in 2014 and centred on a fighter and his dragon companion, but Microsoft cancelled it in 2017 after delays.
Hideki Kamiya directed the game and co-founded PlatinumGames; Kento Koyama, now head of studio Clovers, also worked on it. Kamiya has said the former team remembers the project fondly, though it had difficult periods. Its cancellation left the game unfinished, and any return would depend on Microsoft and the people involved choosing to revive it.
The story matters to Xbox players and the developers because Scalebound was a high-profile project that never reached release. Kamiya has pointed to the long wait for an Okami sequel as a reason he believes shelved projects can sometimes return.