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Nearly a decade on, legendary director Hideki Kamiya says he’s “100% serious” about reviving Xbox’s canned Scalebound
Legendary game director Hideki Kamiya has said he's "100% serious" about wanting to revive Scalebound, the dragon-themed action game that Microsoft cancelled nearly a decade ago. Speaking to VGC, Kamiya said he hasn't yet approached Xbox CEO Asha Sharma about the idea but would welcome the chance to restart discussions, framing the interview as an opportunity to signal his openness to Xbox. The comments will reignite interest among fans who still mourn the project, given Kamiya's track record on acclaimed titles including Bayonetta, Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry and Okami.
Scalebound was unveiled as an Xbox One exclusive in 2014 and spent around four years in development at PlatinumGames before Microsoft cancelled it in 2017; former PlatinumGames CEO Atsushi Inaba later said both sides bore responsibility for its collapse. Kamiya noted that several PlatinumGames veterans now work at his new studio, Clovers, which is currently focused on developing Okami 2 for Capcom and "might not be in a position" to take on Scalebound immediately. Nonetheless, he pointed to Okami 2's own long-delayed revival as proof that persistence can eventually pay off, expressing hope that Scalebound could see the same fate in future.
In short
- Kamiya says he's serious about reviving cancelled Xbox game Scalebound
- Hasn't spoken to Xbox CEO yet, but is open to it
- His studio Clovers is currently busy making Okami 2
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 sustained fan interest and give Kamiya and former PlatinumGames colleagues a chance to realise a project they still care about. The success of other long-delayed revivals, including Okami 2, suggests that renewed creative and commercial circumstances can make a previously shelved game viable.
The case against
The original cancellation followed years of development and was attributed to difficulties for which both Microsoft and PlatinumGames bore responsibility, so restarting could risk repeating costly problems. Clovers is already focused on Okami 2 and may lack capacity for another major project, while Xbox would need to judge whether Scalebound is a sound use of resources now.
Explained simply
Scalebound was an action game about a young hero and his dragon, developed by Japan’s PlatinumGames for Microsoft’s Xbox One. Microsoft cancelled it in 2017, after several years of development. PlatinumGames’ former chief Atsushi Inaba later said both companies shared responsibility for the project’s collapse.
Hideki Kamiya directed Scalebound and is known for games including Bayonetta, Devil May Cry and Okami. He now leads Clovers, a studio making Okami 2 for Capcom, and says some former PlatinumGames colleagues have joined him there. Reviving Scalebound would require agreement between its creators and Microsoft, which owns the Xbox platform; its cancellation left unanswered questions for fans about a game they had been following for years.