Scalebound Revival Could Be Coming, Alleges New Report

Scalebound was Microsoft’s highly anticipated game slated to release nearly half a decade ago, but it was scrapped away due to complexities faced by Platinum Games. The action RPG brewed in Unreal Engine 4 was based in a fantasy setting where a dragon assisted the protagonist in action-packed adventures.

Since its cancellations, rumors of its revival have persisted in the gaming community over the years, but now it is more likely than ever to be revitalized. The accredited insider, Shpeshal Nick, appeared on The XboxEra Podcast, where he claimed that Microsoft and Platinum Games are in early talks to revive the canceled Scalebound project.

During the podcast, Nick iterated about the latest rumors he heard through sources related to Scalebound, noting that Platinum Games is finally taking it on again. Nick elaborated, “I have been told that Platinum [Games] is working with Xbox to try and bring Scalebound back; they would like to bring it back.”

He has allegedly heard the rumor from his two different sources. The new rumor may cause high anticipations to arise in the community, but details regarding the popular canceled IP are very scarce as of now.

For instance, the insider is unsure about how Platinum Games is going to tackle the Scalebound project again. Whether it uses the old leftover materials and assets in any way or starts completely anew remains to be answered.

Nick elaborated, “I don’t know if they are gonna try and put together the pieces of that, I don’t know if they are gonna start from scratch I have no idea.” Additionally, details around the game engine are sparse; Scalebound may use the same Unreal Engine 4, but there is no concrete evidence for or against it.

Moreover, the well-renowned insider has also made it clear that the new Scalebound project will not be materialized into a playable game for a long time.

Nick iterates through the podcast multiple times that the talks are in a very early phase, noting, “this is a long way away guys, this is like ages away.” Nick also shares similar sentiments throughout the podcast.

We suggest taking the rumor with a hefty grain of salt, as the developers have not officially confirmed the project. Regardless, the possibility of Scalebound’s revival seems imminent because of a few pre-existing factors. 

The main reason behind Scalebound’s cancelation was Platinum Games’ inexperience with Unreal Engine 4. Furthermore, Scalebound was too ambitious for the studio at the time. The gameplay revealed before its cancelation gave us glimpses of bad optimization and graphical inconsistencies that haunted the title.

However, Platinum Games has gained more experience and it has shown deep interest many times in pursuing Microsoft’s canceled IP during the last few years. For instance, in February 2022, Platinum Games’ Vice President, Hideki Kamiya, revealed interest in developing the stellar canceled IP in an interview with IGN Japan.

Kamiya noted (translated by VGC), “We did a lot of work on it, and it’s no use Microsoft keeping the game in its current form, so we’d like to do something about it (laughs). Phil! Let’s do it together!”

What are your thoughts about Platinum Games and Microsoft possibly being in early talks to revive the canceled action RPG, Scalebound? Do you think Platinum Games is ready to take on such an ambitious project after garnering experience with its recent games? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below.

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