Rumor: PlatinumGames' Cancelled Microsoft-Exclusive Scalebound Is Now Coming To Switch

TheGamer

By Scott Baird

Published Feb 19, 2019

A new rumor suggests that Nintendo is working with PlatinumGames to bring back the tragically canceled Scalebound for Switch.

There have been rumors circulating around the Internet about Nintendo reviving a previously canceled game for the Nintendo Switch. A lot of fans hoped that it might be Earthbound 64, but it may be a game with a similar sounding name, as new rumors are stating that the revived game might be Scalebound, which was a Microsoft Windows/Xbox One exclusive title that was canceled in 2017.

The rumors and speculation started when Imran Khan (the senior editor at Game Informer) said that he had heard that Nintendo was reviving an unexpected game (via. Nintendo Everything) that had previously been canceled. The speculation started straight away, with fans suggesting everything from Project H.A.M.M.E.R. to Star Wars 1313.

The identity of the mysterious revived game may have been revealed by Alex Seedhouse of Nintendo Insider, as he is claiming that his sources have told him that Scalebound is coming to the Nintendo Switch.

Scalebound was an action RPG that was being developed by PlatinumGames as an exclusive for Microsoft Windows/Xbox One. The protagonist of Scalebound was a warrior named Drew, who befriended a dragon named Thuban who aided him in battle. Scalebound was announced during Microsoft Studios' conference at E3 2014 but was repeatedly delayed until it was revealed to have been canceled in 2017.

There are reasons to doubt this rumor, most notably that the Nintendo Switch might not even be strong enough to run Scalebound in its previous form, as it was originally designed to work on the Xbox One. It's possible that the Nintendo Switch version of Scalebound is greatly reduced in scope compared to how it was originally envisioned.

Nintendo and PlatinumGames have worked closely together on numerous projects, with Nintendo being responsible for reviving Bayonetta 2 on the Wii U and Platinum currently working on Astral Chain and Bayonetta 3, both of which will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. It's possible that Nintendo was interested in reviving the Scalebound project in order to bolster the Switch's line-up, which would have the added benefit of thumbing their nose at Microsoft.

The cancelation of Scalebound was met with a harsh negative response from fans, especially those who owned an Xbox One, as Scalebound was shaping up to be one of the best games on the system. If the rumors are true and Nintendo is responsible for reviving Scalebound, then it would help to win the fans who were disappointed in losing the game the first time, while also adding another Platinum action game to the system in the process.