Hideki Kamiya, the acclaimed director known for his work on titles such as Resident Evil 2, Ōkami, and Bayonetta, is reportedly considering legal action against users on the social platform X who have accused him of misappropriating funds from Xbox during the development of PlatinumGames' canceled action RPG, Scalebound.
Kamiya’s recent comments stemmed from an interview where he expressed openness to reviving Scalebound, stating that he had spoken with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and that the project could move forward if the opportunity arose. Scalebound, which was developed by PlatinumGames and slated for publication by Microsoft Studios, was canceled in 2017 after four years of development. Kamiya, who helmed the project, departed PlatinumGames in 2023 to join a new studio, Clovers.
Although no official figures on Scalebound's development cost have been disclosed, and neither Microsoft nor PlatinumGames have made any statements suggesting Kamiya misused project funds, a rumor has circulated among some fans. These claims suggest Kamiya diverted money intended for Scalebound to finance the development of Bayonetta 2, a game ultimately published by Nintendo.
Kamiya, who is known for his active engagement on social media, directly addressed these allegations on X. In response to a user who suggested Kamiya would "grab the budget from Scalebound so he can develop a game for his studio," Kamiya posted, "I’m gonna sue those shitty bugs spreading this kind of fake news for defamation…" In another instance, replying to a user who stated Kamiya would "just steal the money to make other products again," he asked, "Should I sue you for defamation too…?"
These exchanges highlight a peculiar aspect of the Scalebound post-mortem, especially given past statements from PlatinumGames' president and CEO, Atsushi Inaba. Inaba mentioned in 2023 that the studio found it difficult to witness fan anger directed at Microsoft over the cancellation, suggesting that "both sides" bore responsibility for the project's demise.