Will Bayonetta 3 Come to PC?

Since the latest Bayonetta 3 trailer, I’ve been seeing a lot of folks talking about the release on social media. Due to recent cross-platform releases of formerly first-party games from the likes of Sony and Xbox, people have been hoping to see Bayonetta 3 come to PC or even PlayStation consoles. The reality of this, contrary to what some might say, is that this isn’t a likely outcome. Let’s talk about why.

In order to understand the unlikely nature of a Bayonetta 3 cross-platform release, you’ve got to go back to the period of time after the original Bayonetta was released. Sega was the initial publisher of the original Bayonetta, and after the first game was released, Hideki Kamiya was ready to make a sequel. The game didn’t sell poorly, in fact, it was PlatinumGames’ best-selling release for its time.

However, the sales didn’t meet “expectations” and thus Sega passed on a sequel. Not to be deterred, Kamiya kept shopping it around, hoping that either Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo would be willing to back the game. Everyone except Nintendo refused, and thus Bayonetta 2 initially became a Wii-U exclusive title. Since then, it has only ever been released on Nintendo platforms.

Now I hear you say, “but what about Bayonetta 1 releasing on PC?” Well, that’s because Sega still had publishing rights for the first game, and with PlatinumGames’ blessing, they released it on PC. However, without Nintendo Bayonetta 2 wouldn’t exist, and by extension neither would Bayonetta 3.

To further this train of thought, when asked about potential ports for Bayonetta 3, Hideki Kamiya has commented numerous times on fan questions regarding PC or other console ports. Ultimately, he has stated that since Nintendo is the publisher, it all comes down to whether they are comfortable or interested in porting it.

Personally, I would say that since we haven’t seen a Bayonetta 2 PC release, this isn’t likely. In fact, with Bayonetta being a character in Smash Bros. Ultimate, and being so popular in general, the fact that they haven’t even suggested it tells me that they may be treating Bayonetta as an IP they want to keep exclusive.

To some degree, when people ask me if I think Bayonetta 2 (or 3) will release outside of a Nintendo platform, I always ask the same question. Do you think Link, Mario, or Samus will ever see a game release on another platform? The answer is obviously no. As long as Nintendo holds their first-party (and first-party-adjacent) IP so close to the vest, the odds are very small.

Don’t get me wrong here. I would love to see more people be able to enjoy Bayonetta 2 and 3. Bayonetta 2 is a game I love just as much as the original. In fact, I would wager that it improves the Bayonetta formula in leaps and bounds. However, I think if you really want to enjoy the experience of Bayonetta 2 and 3, you’ll have to buy a Nintendo Switch.