Update: Microsoft has confirmed that Scalebound is cancelled.
Original Story: According to Eurogamer and Kotaku, Scalebound is either in development trouble or has stopped development altogether. Kotaku’s article stopped short of any declaration beyond “in trouble” or possibly cancelled, however Eurogamer cites their own sources saying Microsoft and Platinum have “soured” with one another and the game will halt production. Those sources say after some developers took a well deserved break from the project, they returned to a game behind schedule and plauged with several issues. Since then, nothing has improved, and it’s affected Microsoft and Platinum’s business relationship.
No official word has been released yet, but the original deal was for Platinum to make the game and Microsoft to publish. Typically the publisher would hold the rights to the game and Platinum can’t shop the game around in hopes of finding someone else to help them finish Scalebound. For Microsoft, this was a game they highlighted frequently at E3 and most recently at Gamescom back in August, it was a major release for the Xbox One and a notable potential loss. As for Platinum, this was rumored to be that their “A-team” developers were working on it, including those who were behind titles like Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta, not to mention direct involvement from Hideki Kamiya. The loss of a flagship game like this could big a major blow.
Here’s hoping something positive comes from the ashes of Scalebound, it’d be a shame to see this all fall apart.
