On September 15, 2025, VGA conducted an interview with CLOVERS and had a chat with its CEO, Kento Koyama, and its Studio Head/Chief Game Designer, Hideki Kamiya. During this interview, Koyama and Kamiya shared insights into how CLOVERS was established following the latter's departure from his former studio, PlatinumGames, as well as the financial challenges that accompanied it.
Hideki Kamiya then went on to describe the emotional reaction following Okami 2's grand reveal at The Game Awards 2024, his approach to directing it using the experience he gained from developing the Bayonetta franchise, and CLOVER's future plans after Okami 2 is finished.
Following that, VGA asked Hideki Kamiya about his feelings regarding recent layoffs at Microsoft, and he stated that while circumstances force large companies to make layoffs, he will make sure to protect CLOVERS from this fate, no matter what.
Speaking of Microsoft, one of the more insightful pieces of info from this interview is Hideki Kamiya's on Scalebound, the cancelled action-RPG by PlatinumGames that mixed Devil May Cry-style combat with dragon riding.
Hideki Kamiya admitted that if Scalebound had been developed with a Japanese publisher instead of Microsoft, things may have gone differently.
Of course, at the small scale we’re at right now, making this next Okami game is all that we can handle, but as we scale up and become bigger, hopefully that could mean potentially working on the next Okami game, or a new IP with another publisher, or another Capcom IP. Any of those possibilities would make us very happy.
Hideki Kamiya, Studio Head/Chief Game Designer of CLOVERS
His reasons are that Japanese companies tend to be more open to new challenges and that overseas publishers want games finished as soon as possible.
Hideki Kamiya says that while having a Japanese publisher wouldn't have meant the game would've been finished, the conversations during development would've been more positive.
However, Kamiya wants to make it perfectly clear that Scalebound's cancellation rests squarely on his and PlatinumGames' shoulders, not with Microsoft. The interview concludes with VGA asking Hideki Kamiya about the state of PlatinumGames since he left.
I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding: the failure of Scalebound was ultimately the responsibility of PlatinumGames, myself as director included. But because I have now experienced working with overseas publishers, I feel that if the opportunity ever comes again, we’ll find a way to take advantage of both sides’ strengths.
Hideki Kamiya, Studio Head/Chief Game Designer of CLOVERS
He says he hasn’t received any contact from them, officially or unofficially. Plus, he said that if the game developers who stayed at PlatinumGames shared the same mindset as the company's direction, then he's content with that.
What could've been had PlatinumGames and Microsoft seen more eye-to-eye
There you have it, with Hideki Kamiya's admission of guilt for Scalebound's cancellation, any chance of this dormant Xbox IP being revived is now officially dead.
It's a shame that this project fell through, as Scalebound looked like a killer app for Xbox platforms with its over-the-top combat system and cool dragons to ride. Alas, we may never know now.
Hopefully, Hideki Kamiya's future projects at CLOVERS will avoid the tragic fate dealt to Scalebound, especially Okami 2, which Capcom fans have been begging for since the original classic title was released in 2006.
I have a feeling things will go more smoothly for Okami 2 compared to Scalebound, as Hideki Kamiya was once an established developer for the company, having directed the original Devil May Cry, Okami 1, Resident Evil 2, and Viewtiful Joe.
So, with his past ties, Hideki Kamiya will have a higher chance of cooperating with Capcom, much more than he did with Microsoft, as the two had miscommunications regarding refining Scalebound's concept.
If things go well, perhaps CLOVERS may get commissioned to help develop and revive some of Capcom's other dormant IP, like Dino Crisis, God Hand, or Breath of Fire? We can only wait and have time give us the answers to find out.
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