Hideki Kamiya has publicly invited Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to revive Scalebound, the long-cancelled action RPG, stating his readiness to return if Xbox is willing to restart development under new leadership
Hideki Kamiya, the creative force behind Bayonetta and now president of Clovers, has issued a direct challenge to Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma: if Xbox is prepared to resurrect Scalebound, he and his team are ready to engage. This renewed call comes nearly a decade after Microsoft officially cancelled the ambitious dragon-themed action RPG, leaving a trail of speculation and disappointment among players who had anticipated its Xbox One debut.
Renewed Interest in a Cancelled Project
Kamiya's latest comments, delivered in a recent interview, make it clear that his interest in Scalebound has not faded with time or studio changes. Despite leaving PlatinumGames and co-founding Clovers in late 2024, he remains vocal about his desire to see the project revived. He confirmed that Clovers president Kento Koyama is also supportive, and even requested that the limited public footage of Scalebound be highlighted for Sharma's attention. The message is unambiguous: the creative leadership is in place, but the green light must come from Xbox.
Scalebound was first announced as an Xbox One exclusive at E3 2014, promising a blend of action-RPG mechanics and dragon companionship. After a brief resurgence at gamescom 2015, the project slipped into silence, followed by a delay to 2017 and mounting reports of development trouble. Microsoft's final confirmation of cancellation in January 2017 ended official progress, but not the appetite for a comeback.
Xbox's Changing Priorities
The context for Kamiya's renewed pitch is a period of significant transition at Xbox. Asha Sharma took over as CEO in February 2026, replacing Phil Spencer and overseeing a series of rapid organisational changes. These have included the introduction of physical-to-digital game conversion for select users and, more controversially, the layoff of 3,200 staff and the divestment of studios such as Double Fine and Ninja Theory. The company's shifting priorities have left many questioning which projects will receive support under Sharma's leadership.
While some recent moves, like the digitisation of physical games, have been well received, the scale of layoffs and studio departures has unsettled both developers and players. The fate of dormant or cancelled projects like Scalebound now depends on whether Xbox's new management is willing to invest in riskier, high-profile revivals amid ongoing restructuring.
Development Status and Remaining Obstacles
Although Kamiya no longer works at PlatinumGames, his new studio Clovers is currently focused on Okami 2, another long-awaited sequel. He has acknowledged that Clovers is not in a position to begin work on Scalebound immediately, but insists that strong creative desire and the right opportunity could make a revival possible. The project's original development spanned from its 2014 announcement to its 2017 cancellation, with only limited gameplay footage ever released to the public.
During a recent dinner with former Scalebound developers, Kamiya noted that the team still remembers the project fondly, despite the difficulties that led to its demise. He maintains that if Xbox leadership is willing to revisit the idea, the creative team is ready to respond. However, there is no indication that formal discussions have taken place between Clovers and Xbox since Sharma's appointment.
What the Numbers Show
Scalebound's cancellation was confirmed by Microsoft in January 2017, three years after its E3 2014 reveal. The project was delayed to 2017 before being shut down, with only a handful of gameplay clips and trailers ever made public. Xbox's recent restructuring has resulted in 3,200 layoffs and the loss of at least four studios, including Double Fine and Ninja Theory, as reported earlier by previous coverage. These figures underscore the scale of change at Xbox and the uncertainty facing any potential revival.
Understanding the difference between a cancelled project and a paused or dormant one is crucial in gaming. A cancelled game like Scalebound has had its development officially terminated by the publisher, with no active work or scheduled release. However, intellectual property rights and creative interest can keep the possibility of revival alive, especially if leadership or market conditions change. Unlike a delayed or paused project, a cancelled title requires a new agreement, fresh investment and often a reassembled team to move forward. For players, this means that while hope for a return is not misplaced, it depends entirely on renewed commitment from both creative and publishing sides.
