RUMOR: Has PlatinumGames Reacquired The Rights To Bayonetta From Sega?

The following story is unconfirmed information, and will be updated if and/or when PlatinumGames and Sega verifies details.

Rumors began to make the rounds several days ago that action game aficionados PlatinumGames has been working on a new entry in the Bayonetta series. The original reporting began on Reddit, as a Chinese leaker going by a9vg dropped some potentially robust information on Baidu Tieba (Chinese Reddit) that PlatinumGames has reacquired the rights to the first Bayonetta game from Sega. This alleged deal only involves the first Bayonetta title. Bayonetta 2 and 3 are owned by Nintendo.

The New Bayonetta Entry

The game is speculated to have been in development for 2 years, and will run on Unreal Engine 5. It's expected to simplify the combat to draw in casual game players. Bayonetta 3 was released in 2022, and it was a fast selling entry in the series. This latest game is rumored to have a budget rivaling Final Fantasy XVI. That's a portion of the story that leaves some doubt. PlatinumGames has historically been a medium-sized development studio. Final Fantasy XVI cost Square Enix a roughly estimated 61 to 90 million dollars to produce. Budget numbers for Bayonetta 3 remain under wraps, but for a company that just saw major talent restructuring (including the departure of co-creator Hideki Kamiya in 2023), it would be a considerable leap to place all their eggs in one basket with a very high budgeted project. PlatinumGames has had a difficult time following the consistent success of 2017's Nier Automata. According to the leaker, it's expected to be revealed in late 2026, with a potential 2028 release window.

Original Bayonetta and Metal Gear: Rising Revengeance Remasters

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (Konami, PlatinumGames)

The projected "remake" of the original Bayonetta and 2013's Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance are also expected to utilize Unreal Engine 5, and assumed to be high scaled remaster, rather than rebuilt from the ground-up makeovers. The Bayonetta remake, in particular, is claimed to have some "tweaks to the gameplay" and level design "similar to Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater".

Platinumgames did have an involvement with the Snake Eater remake, designing the "Snake's Nightmare" minigame with more modernized controls and action.

Based on the leaker's reporting, this is expected to be revealed in 2026, with a planned release in 2027.

For the better part of a decade plus, Bayonetta has essentially been a Nintendo property, as they were the only publishers who were interested in pursuing sequels (as well as the spin-off prequel game Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon). If these moves are reported to come to fruition, it could be a step in making Bayonetta a multiplatform IP. We will update this story, if it comes true.

SOURCE: Reddit