The long-anticipatedBayonetta 3releases next week and, as is tradition in the video game industry, spoilers are doing their best to ruin the day. First announced during The Game Awards 2017,Bayonetta 3arrives just over eight years since the sequel launched in 2014, and several painful years of waiting are soon to come to a close.
Bayonetta 3is poised to be the most expansive title of the series yet, with significant developments of prior mechanics having been noted in trailers and first impressions. PlatinumGames has confirmed the return of beloved features, including Witch Time, the ability for the player to increase their speed, represented by time slowing down in game. Arecent trailer has disclosed the involvement of multiple Bayonettas, although Platinum continues to keep tight-lipped regarding any details that concern the story. Detrimental to these efforts are spoilers making their way online in the wake ofBayonetta 3copies entering distribution.
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Bayonetta 3’s subreddit posted a thread dedicated to spoilers, authored by u/-Joozhuah-, which noted that with copies of the game now seemingly in circulation, other threads would effectively be put into lockdown. Outside the relevant thread, spoilers would be met with a ban, not to be reversed until at least 7 days followingBayonetta 3’s launch, with the restriction expected to be lifted “around November 10.” The strict crackdown followed after multiple videos were uploaded to YouTube, which included a substantial portion of the game, buthave since been removed by Nintendo.
Leaks are an unfortunately ubiquitous element of the video game industry, whether they be about unannounced titles, narrative details, or in-development footage. Rockstar Games were recently victim to an unprecedented hack, which saw approximately 90 clips ofGrand Theft Auto 6footage uploaded to GTAForums, showcasing the currently unfinished state of a game which is years away from releasing. Only days after, it was discovered that TheRealInsider, whose Twitter account hadleaked the soon-to-be announcedAssassin’s Creedprojects, was in fact YouTuber DanAllenGaming, who was simply being trusted with sensitive information and later broke non-disclosure agreements via an anonymous profile.
Bayonetta 3has not only been suffering from potential spoilers, but has also been recently surrounded by controversy due toclaims made by previousBayonettavoice actor Helena Taylor, who alleged that she had been offered only $4000 to reprise her role as the much adored main character. Believing the amount to be an insult, it was claimed that Taylor was subsequently replaced with Jennifer Hale, a renowned voice actor for video game franchises. Recent reporting counters Taylor’s statement however, with it being reported that the quoted value was in fact for each session, of which there would have been 5, and PlatinumGames has since released a statement throwing support behind Hale.
Bayonetta 3will release on May 17, 2025 exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
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