Hideki Kamiya expects Platinum to continue the Bayonetta series without him

PlatinumGames co-founder and original Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya has said he expects the franchise to continue without him.

Prior to his shock departure from the Japanese studio last month, Kamiya served as Platinum’s vice president and its most senior creative force, overseeing franchises such as Bayonetta and Astral Chain.

In a new video on his YouTube channel, Kamiya said he expects Bayonetta to live on, while expressing disappointment that he won’t get to fulfil his vision for the series.

“As I explained earlier, I worked on Bayonetta 1, 2, 3 and Origins,” he said. “I’ve talked about this in various interviews, that the Bayonetta series would consist of a total of nine episodes, and that I wanted to grow the franchise as the Bayonetta ‘Saga’, but it seems like I may have to take the full saga to the grave with me.

“It’s a shame. It’s not like I own the Bayonetta IP, but I suppose those who do will probably keep it going.”

Kamiya co-founded Platinum in 2006, but his career began at Capcom where he was best known for directing Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry and, at its spin-off Clover studio, Okami and Viewtiful Joe.

Kamiya and former colleague Shinji Mikami, who left Evil Within studio Tango Gameworks earlier this year, will host a conversation about their careers to date and their future plans at an event in Tokyo next month.

Mikami, who is best known for his time at Capcom, where he directed the first Resident Evil, its 2002 GameCube remake and Resident Evil 4, recently suggested he was ready to return to game development following the apparent expiration of a non-compete clause.