Hideki Kamiya “can’t conceive the ‘Bayonetta’ series ever ending”

PlatinumGames vice president Hideki Kamiya has said he “can’t conceive the Bayonetta series ever ending” in a new interview.

The action-adventure game series was created by Kamiya and launched in 2009. The third game, Bayonetta 3, was released in October, while a spin-off called Bayonetta Origins: Cereza And The Lost Demon is due to arrive next March.

Speaking to IGN Japan, Kamiya discussed game creators’ need to build games based on “their own convictions” rather than second-guessing what players want. “Taking the Bayonetta IP as an example, while I have a structure in mind for where the story is going to go far into the future, players are only able to pass judgment on the story that they have at the moment,” he said.

He continued to share some players’ assumptions that the Bayonetta series will end because “the creators have no love for it” and challenged that idea. “How could I not love Cereza and all the other characters I’ve fostered for this long?” he asked, referencing the game’s protagonist, who is also known as Bayonetta.

When he was asked if there would be more Bayonetta games produced in the future, Kamiya replied: “I personally can’t conceive the Bayonetta series ever ending. I want to make a Bayonetta 4 and Bayonetta 5, and I intend on pitching them to the company. We often talk internally about how we could make nine of them.”

He added: “I want people who love the Bayonetta series to believe me when I say I’m not going to do anything that will betray the player.”

In a four-star review, NME said of Bayonetta 3: “For long-time fans of the series, it’s a big sigh of relief – it was more than worth the long wait. For newcomers, it’s a surprisingly forgiving story to drop into – you might not know the characters at first, but it’s easy to pick up. No matter which side you fall on, Bayonetta 3 is a crowning gem for PlatinumGames and a ridiculously good time for all.”

Meanwhile, the game series has been embroiled in controversy recently. One of its original voice actors called on fans to boycott the third game after feeling the fee she was offered for the job was an “insult”. Hellena Taylor later responded to being called “a liar and gold digger”, saying she felt the need to defend her reputation.