Platinum suggests more Bayonetta is coming, despite exodus of lead developers
Platinum boss Inaba wants to “further develop the character of Bayonetta and expand her world”
PlatinumGames boss Atsushi Inaba has suggested that the studio plans to continue making games in the Bayonetta series, without many of its original creators.
The Osaka, Japan studio hasn’t released a game in the Bayonetta series since the significant departure of lead developers in recent years, including series creator and co-founder Hideki Kamiya, who formed a new studio to make Okami 2. The last game in the series was the 2023 spin-off Origins.
The Bayonetta IP is also not owned by Platinum, but split between Sega and Nintendo, in an agreement that saw its sequels released as Wii U and Nintendo Switch exclusives.
Speaking to Famitsu in one of his first interviews since the big restructuring, Inaba was asked about the future of the Bayonetta series – and strongly indicated that it will have one.
“I can’t really answer that right now,” he said, when asked about future Bayonetta games. “We have a strong desire to further develop the character of Bayonetta and expand her world. Please look forward to seeing what form that takes in the future.”
Inaba was speaking alongside Shift Up’s Hyung-tae Kim as part of an interview promoting its upcoming Bayonetta collaboration for Stellar Blade on Nintendo Switch 2. Platinum has yet to release a game for the platform, but Inaba said he believes “it is a console with tremendous potential”.
Platinum breaks silence after big departures
Since Kamiya and other lead developers left Platinum around 2023, the studio has only released work-for-hire projects like Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden 4, and additional work on Final Fantasy XVI, eFootball, and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. It’s currently working on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game with Paramount.
In addition to Kamiya, recent Platinum departures include Bayonetta Origins director Abebe Tinari, Bayonetta 3 director Yusuke Miyata, Astral Chain director Takahisa Taura, Metal Gear Rising director Kenji Saito, and Anarchy Reigns and Resident Evil character designer Masaki Yamanaka.
Bayonetta 2 director Yusuke Hashimoto also left Platinum to rejoin Capcom, and worked on the recent Onimusha revival. Bayonetta 1 was directed by Kamiya, who recently announced the hiring of many of the series’ original sound team. Clovers lists nearly 20 Bayonetta 3 developers on its website.
The large churn of senior staff closely followed the appointment of former Nintendo licensing boss Takao Yamane in 2022. Speaking to VGC the same year, Inaba said the former Nintendo manager’s appointment would “significantly change” the company.
“Up to now, we’ve only been a developer and basically, we just had a function as being a development studio,” he said. “But I think moving forward, what we want to look at is to how we can create games, communicate, sell, and publish those games to our user base. Rather than just being a developer that only creates games for clients.”
Hideki Kamiya has previously said he expects the Bayonetta franchise to continue without him.
