Though the studio has produced a whole slew of cult classics such as Vanquish, Bayonetta, and Nier: Automata, not all of PlatinumGames' output is widely revered. Its biggest blunder was perhaps the cancellation of Scalebound, an action RPG that was supposed to be one of Xbox One's biggest and most anticipated exclusives, only to never properly get off the ground.Even though PlatinumGames couldn't bring Scalebound to fruition, the studio may be attempting to kick off another collaboration with Xbox, if the latest leaks are true. Namely, sources are now claiming that Platinum has approached Xbox for funding and publishing rights, suggesting that the team might have an idea for an impressive project down the line.It's important to point out that, while this information is yet to be confirmed in any official capacity, the leak is coming from the same person who leaked information about Hideo Kojima's Project Overdose. Naturally, this doesn't outright confirm whether the info is true, but it does give it a bit more credence than it otherwise would've had. The source also said that they hadn't heard whether Xbox accepted Platinum's proposal or not, but if they did, it's possible that an official announcement could be coming in relatively short order.
Phil Spencer voiced his respect for PlatinumGames after Scalebound's cancellation, saying that there's no animosity between Xbox and Platinum. While it's unlikely that Spencer would've been setting the stage for Platinum to have another go at producing an Xbox exclusive at that time, it is possible that he was deliberately leaving the option on the table. To that end, it's entirely possible that PlatinumGames would want to try and resolve the Scalebound situation once and for all, should the opportunity arise.
On that note, the history of Scalebound's development goes further back than most might imagine. The concept for Platinum's dragon-riding title was drawn up way back in 2007, only to enter active development in 2013. This means the game was in production for almost four years before Xbox killed the project, so it's not entirely impossible that Platinum might be hoping to restart Scalebound in some capacity.
Whatever the case may be, it's always worth considering leaks such as these with a handful of salt at hand. PlatinumGames is currently working on Bayonetta 3 for Nintendo Switch, and the studio is likely currently focused on making that game as good as it can possibly get. What the next step might be for Platinum after Bayonetta 3 is out, however, is anyone's guess at this point in time, and it very well could be that the studio ends up joining forces with Xbox once more.
Bayonetta 3 releases for Nintendo Switch on October 28, 2022.