Bayonetta 3
Image: Nintendo / PlatinumGames

Bayonetta 3 was certainly a notable absence from the Nintendo Direct at E3, even though there had been hints at its appearance (we'll come back to that later). Its ongoing absence and relative silence over its progress certainly has people talking; it was revealed in late 2017, and unless there's a surprise 'out now' or 'soon'-style reveal later this year it'll have been 4 years+ since it was first teased.

PlatinumGames co-founder Hideki Kamiya has given updates over the years, for example saying the project is going "very well," "very smoothly," "fine," and "very well" again. At the start of the year he changed tone a little, encouraging us to forget about Bayonetta 3 so that "when something finally does happen, it will be a nice surprise, won’t it?". PlatinumGames has also emphasized that it's ultimately the remit of Nintendo, as publisher, to give updates. It's been a long period of silence and vague status updates, and in a recent poll we shared it's clear that some fans are concerned about the project.

Kamiya-san clearly saw a lot of 'where's Bayonetta' posts and speculation on social media following Nintendo's show, as he's expressed irritation at 'reckless' comments around the game's progress. The original tweet and a translation via Kotaku are below.

I get why people say, ‘Hurry up and release info’ or ‘Show us something,’ but... Reckless remarks like ‘Has development stopped?’ or ‘I guess it’s been delayed’, etc. are nothing but annoying public waste.

In further replies Kamiya-san reiterates the sincerity of his updates around positive progress for the project, with clear annoyance at suggestions that the game is in any form of doubt.

It's certainly understandable why Kamiya-san is frustrated, though he does also tease followers on social media and that inevitably raises expectations. Prior to Nintendo's Direct he tweeted the following image and a message that machine translates to "speaking of which, I received it ... I'll open it soon ..."; yes, 3 Bayonetta toys, easily interpreted as a tease.

In any case, the hope beyond all of this is that Bayonetta 3 remains on track for Nintendo Switch. We're certainly looking forward to playing it.

[source kotaku.com]