Hideki Kamiya, Executive Director on Bayonetta 3, has reminded fans that PlayStation and Xbox ports of the title are highly unlikely. Helmed by Kamiya, the original Bayonetta received a worldwide release on PS3 and Xbox 360 in early 2010. Platinum Games and publisher Sega planned to re-teamed for a sequel, yet the latter axed the project mid-development. As a result, Nintendo came in for the save, funding Platinum's work on Bayonetta 2 for its exclusive rollout on the Wii U.
Both entries performed well enough in terms of market performance, though neither one set the world on fire. That didn't stop Platinum Games and Nintendo from pursuing a third installment, though. The publisher officially unveiled Bayonetta 3 during The Game Awards 2017, with a brief teaser trailer that confirmed its status as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. After a lengthy bout of silence that left many skeptical about the game's progress, Bayonetta 3 recently reared its head once more during Nintendo's September 2021 Direct. Once again, questions about exclusivity have bubbled to the surface.
In response to inquiries about a potential release on PlayStation and Xbox platforms, Hideki Kamiya took to Twitter to remind fans that Nintendo is funding and publishing Bayonetta 3. He went on to note that while the chances of Bayonetta 2 and Bayonetta 3 hitting other consoles "aren't zero," Nintendo would have the final say on the matter. By that same token, then, the chances that Mario and Legend of Zelda titles may eventually receive PS5 ports aren't totally impossible, either. "Please do your best and continue to send enthusiastic requests to Nintendo," reads a line from Kamiya's translated tweet.
Kamiya's Mario and Zelda comparisons should put the Bayonetta 3 requests to rest. The comparison isn't exactly one-to-one, though, since Sega still holds Bayonetta's IP rights. Perhaps the hack-and-slash series could one day return to PlayStation and Xbox, after all? Only time will tell.
At least one Platinum Games-made Nintendo exclusive has migrated to other platforms in the past - Wonderful 101. The studio self-published Wonderful 101 Remastered in 2020, launching the title across Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, and PS4 following an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign that raked in well over $1 million. Specifics regarding the franchise's IP rights remain publicly unknown, however. Thus, it's unclear of Bayonetta could eventually receive similar treatment.
Bayonetta 3 makes its way to Nintendo Switch on an unspecified date in 2022.
Source: Hideki Kamiya/Twitter