Well that didn't take too long. Soon after Kotaku's rumor of Scalebound being cancelled was published, Microsoft officially confirmed the news. No reason was given as to why the decision was made, though the Microsoft representative mentioned they were working hard to "deliver an amazing lineup of games this year," including Halo Wars 2, State of Decay 2, Crackdown 3, and Sea of Thieves.
Scalebound certainly sounded like an ambitious game when it was announced by Microsoft and Platinum Games' Hideki Kamiya at E3 2014, but the title now seems to be in trouble according to Eurogamer and Kotaku.
The first mention of the cancellation came from Kotaku, which mentioned that multiple sources close to the project had confirmed to them that Scalebound was indeed being cancelled. Eurogamer's article is a bit more definitive and conclusive, saying that Microsoft and Platinum have officially gone their separate ways on the project after major troubles with the game's engine and overdue deadlines.
There hasn't been any official word from Microsoft (the game's publisher) just yet, but a representative from the company did mention they'll release a statement on the game soon.
If this development is true, it'll be an unfortunate blow to Platinum Games' reputation, especially over the last year as at least two of the games they recently worked on have had their share of controversy from fans. One was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants In Manhattan, which many claim is just not a good game, and the other was Star Fox Zero, which many fans claim the controls kill the experience.
Platinum Games' next title, Nier Automata, is scheduled for release on February 23 on PlayStation 4.
Are you surprised to hear that Scalebound might be cancelled?