Rumor: Astral Chain 2 in development

https://gameranx.com/updates/id/525703/article/rumor-astral-chain-2-was-so-mismanaged-nintendo-threatened-to-take-it-from-platinumgames/

This rumor waspostedat the PlatinumGamesInc subreddit, and the redditor who posted it already deleted their account (or they chose the username deleted). So this could all turn out to be completely false, especially with no one emerging to corroborate it. Keep that in mind as you read our summary of the rumor.

Pre-production for Astral Chain 2 started as early as early 2021, but immediately ran into problems. It immediately looks like the issue is with management, as they put too many of the Astral Chain 2 staff to work on other games, such that six months passed with zero progress.

On top of that, PlatinumGames quietly made budget cuts at all levels. No one was fired, but things got so bad that their HR department went without lighting for months.

In 2022, Kamiya allegedly got Astral Chain 2 and another game called Steel Colossus back in production, after getting investment from third party companies.

But almost immediately, Nintendo checked in on the game and they were not happy. They threatened to take the project to another studio, seeing that both money and time had been squandered without progress on the project.

It was in the middle of this situation where Kamiya got into disagreements with ‘key decision makers’ that led to his exist from PlatinumGames. Our source claims they don’t know if Astral Chain 2 is still in development, or still with PlatinumGames, but they claim the company really is in a bad situation at the moment.

As we know some fans will imagine some connections they made, we’re going to point out some things they may not want to believe. Kamiya may have seemed like the hero in this story, but as vice president at PlatinumGames, he himself may be responsible for mismanaging Astral Chain 2’s development.

It’s also worth remembering that PlatinumGames received investment from TenCent, the same company once rumored to want to acquire Kadokawa, and the same company now embroiled in scandal with the Guillemots over at Ubisoft. Kamiya himself made claims about how TenCent caused undesirable changes in the company in a recent interview.

This rumor also seems to line up with prior rumors about goings on behind the scenes at PlatinumGames, and the overall picture just isn’t very good. We chose not to cover rumored details about Astral Chain 2 itself, because if the company itself could be on the ropes, what would even be the point?

If this second source is telling the truth, even more former employees could be emerging to air out even more dirty laundry on what was once Nintendo’s most valuable independent third party.

Thoughts, SW? Do you think there’s a chance that Astral Chain 2 will really happen? The original was great, and it was somewhat of a sleeper hit. I can see Nintendo wanting another one for the Switch 2.

Loved the first game and would definitely want them to make a sequel. Hope if this is true then the game is still in the works.

Don't want to give too much creedence to a Redit rumor, but this narative does line up with the Tencent investment and people leaving the studio. Plus I think Astral Chain outsold Bayonetta, didn't it? So, the idea Nintendo greenlit a sequel is also quite realistic.

I hope they pull things together, because that would be a nice REAL GAME FOR BIG BALLZ REAL GAMERZ to the Switch 2 lineup.

The first game is one of my favourite games on Switch... Man I hope we see a sequel one day.

Still need to play the first game but for some reasons, I keep mistaken for CodeVein lol.

I'll buy a Switch 2 day 1 if a new Astral Chain is made

One thing that will be so awesome about Switch 2 is that all these games that are otherwise good but on stuck on switch will be a lot better on switch 2. sure switch 2 will also be underpowered relative to today's standards just like the first was, but with diminishing returns that issue will matter a lot less this time around.

So it makes prospects like Astral Chain 2 more exciting

Didn't like the game myself, but sequels can always build on and refine. If it gets Platinum Games out of mediocrity I'm all for it. Ninja Gaiden 4 is clearly to give the studio some much needed reputation and money, because we all know Bayonetta 3 was an overall expensive developmental mess.

lol :P

YESSS. Loved the first game. I figured an Astral Chain 2 was inevitable, considering its cameo appearance in Bayonetta 3.

That would be good. Nintendo needs more games like this.

What is Astral Chain?

3D Hack n' Slash like Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden with some gimmicks that seem neat on paper but are very clunky in motion.

You essentially control two characters at once during combat that are 'chained' together. If you know what Knuckles: Chaotix is? you'll have an exact idea what they cooked up.

@mrbojangles25: To add on to what @RSM-HQ: said, it was a Switch exclusive game from Platinum. You play as a cop and do some crime scene investigation, then you go fight monsters, rinse repeat. The CSI part could be better, but the monster fighting is pretty good.

Doesn't get talked about as much, but it actually outsold Bayonetta.

@judaspete: While I love the first two Bayonetta games, the quicktime events make it a tough suggestion over a good Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry.

Personally feel Bayonetta didn't sell well for a few other factors, one being a known 'Devil May Cry clone'. Usually clones of other franchises sell substantially less.

Astral Chain has the benefit of releasing on Switch during one of its hottest years. And it being a Switch exclusive for the time was a selling-point. I doubt a sequel would do as well unless it drops on Switch 2 alongside other Nintendo heavy-hitters.

That is a big loss, for sure.

Developer leaves studio??

Apparently the developer has left. Wonder what’s going on.

Would much rather see Vanquish comeback.

If true, great news for fans of the first game.

@Archangel3371: Damn that looks pretty sweet!

@mrbojangles25: It certainly was.