Bayonetta & Metal Gear Rising Rumors: What We Know So Far

The Umbra Witch Returns: A Triple-Threat Rumor

Hold onto your hair, folks. If the latest leaks out of China are to be believed, PlatinumGames is cooking up a massive feast for character action fans. We aren’t just looking at a sequel; we’re looking at a full-scale franchise reboot, a high-fidelity remake of the original Bayonetta, and the long-awaited return of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

According to a leaker with a solid track record—having nailed Ninja Gaiden 4 info in the past—PlatinumGames is currently deep in development on a brand-new Bayonetta title built on Unreal Engine 5. But there’s a catch that might split the fanbase right down the middle: the studio is reportedly aiming for a "wider audience" by shaving down the complexity of the combat system.

The Next Bayonetta: High Budget, New Mechanics

The leaked details on the next mainline entry suggest a project of staggering proportions. We're talking about a development budget that reportedly matches Final Fantasy XVI. For a character action game, that is an astronomical amount of cash. The game has allegedly been in the works for two years, with the R&D and prototype phases already wrapped up. Currently, the team is working on a vertical slice to set the quality bar.

Combat Overhaul: Shields and Resources

As a veteran of the series, this is where things get interesting—and maybe a little concerning. The leak suggests that Wicked Weaves will no longer be tied to specific combo finishers in the same way. Instead, they’ll be executed by consuming a dedicated resource bar.

More notably, Platinum is reportedly adding shield guarding and shield counter mechanics. While the classic dodge mechanics (and presumably Witch Time) remain untouched, the addition of a block button marks a significant shift in the series' DNA. It sounds like they want to move away from the high-skill ceiling of "dodge-offset" mastery to something more approachable, though they claim to be adding "more gameplay content" to compensate for the reduced combo complexity.

Production Timeline

Don't expect to play this one anytime soon. The game is scheduled to enter mass production in March 2026, provided it passes a review by Tencent. The current roadmap puts an official announcement in late 2026, with a full release slated for early 2028. The leaker’s personal take? They described it as an "average game" with "no impressive design," which might be a red flag for those of us hoping for a genre-defining masterpiece.

The "Delta" Treatment: Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising Remakes

If a simplified sequel doesn’t rev your engine, the news of the remakes might. The leak claims that Platinum is working on a Bayonetta remake/remaster in the same vein as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. This means it’s more than a simple resolution bump but not quite a ground-up reimagining.

Built on Unreal Engine 5, this Bayonetta project will feature upgraded models and textures, alongside tweaks to the actual gameplay and level design. It’s expected to be announced later this year (2026) for a 2027 release.

And for the cyborg ninja fans who have been begging for a comeback: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is also reportedly getting the remaster/remake treatment. While details on the Raiden-starring spin-off are thinner, it’s listed as being in development under a similar scale as the Bayonetta remake.

PlatinumGames Buys Back Its Freedom

Perhaps the biggest piece of industry news buried in this leak is the claim that PlatinumGames has bought back the Bayonetta IP. However, there’s a specific limit to this deal. They have reportedly only reclaimed the rights to the original Bayonetta to facilitate the reboot and the remake.

As of now, they have no plans to buy back Bayonetta 2 or Bayonetta 3 from Nintendo. This move allows the new game and the remake to go multi-platform, breaking the Nintendo-exclusivity streak that has defined the series for over a decade. The leaker notes that the future of the entire franchise hinges on two things: how well the Bayonetta remake sells and the outcome of budget negotiations for future titles.

The State of the Industry

The leaker provided some bleak context for why we’re seeing so many remakes instead of bold new IPs. The Japanese game industry is reportedly in a slump, with companies lacking the confidence to sink massive capital into unproven ideas. PlatinumGames is following the current trend: using remasters and remakes of established hits to lower financial risk.

Our take? While a simplified combat system for Bayonetta sounds like a bit of a nerf to the hardcore experience, the prospect of playing Metal Gear Rising and a modernized Bayonetta 1 on current-gen hardware (and on multiple platforms) is a massive win. We’ll be watching that March Tencent review date very closely.

"The future of Bayonetta franchise depends on how well remaster/remake sells and the negotiation of development budget."

If these timelines hold, 2026 is shaping up to be the year the Umbra Witch finally steps out of the shadows and onto every console on the market.