Scalebound, the dragon-focused action-adventure game being developed as an Xbox One exclusive, has now been canceled.
The game would have allowed players to control either a sword-wielding warrior or a fire-breathing dragon on epic quests. How Scalebound would specifically have played out was never made clear, and it seems that now, we will never know.
Previous Scalebound Delays
Roughly a year ago, the news on Scalebound was that its 2016 release date has been pushed back to 2017, according to developer Platinum Games.
Platinum Games then said that, in order to have Scalebound meet high expectations, the title would have to be delayed, as more time was needed to perfect Scalebound's unique features and gameplay.
However, it was later reported that another reason for the delay of Scalebound was due to the dense lineup of games that were slated to be released in 2016. Among the titles that Scalebound would have competed with include Quantum Break, Inside, Below, and Gears of War 4.
Aaron Greenberg, marketing manager for Microsoft, said that by delaying Scalebound to 2017, the launch of the game would be set up for better success.
Scalebound Canceled
However, despite the hype surrounding Scalebound, Microsoft Studios decided to end the development of the title, and that it will instead focus on the rest of its 2017 lineup consisting of Halo Wars 2, Sea of Thieves, Crackdown 3, and State of Decay 2.
The cancellation of Scalebound was unexpected, but there were several signs that the game was headed in that direction. In addition to the several delays, as Scalebound was first announced in 2014, the game never made its presence felt on the floors of game expos.
There were video snippets of Scalebound shown off, but the public nor the press were never able to actually test the game in mid-development, which is something that most other titles have allowed.
With the cancellation of Scalebound, it was also reported that Microsoft and Platinum Games have parted ways for the project, with work on the game having concluded even before 2016 ended.
According to sources, the relationship between Microsoft and Platinum Games started to crash when several senior members of the title's development team took a month off due to the heavy workload of the project. When they returned, Scalebound was already behind schedule, and combined with issues on the game engine and overdue deadlines, the decision came to end development on the game.
What Scalebound Could Have Been
In Scalebound, players would have controlled either a human named Drew or his dragon companion, Thuban. Drew would have been controlled in third-person view while Thuban would have been controlled in first-person view, with the dragon able to be guided in movements and attacks or directly controlled.
Players would be able to craft the dragon into how they liked their companion to be, through a system that was called the Dragon DNA.
While the concept of the game showed promise, the cancellation of Scalebound means that we will never get to see it in action. It is unclear if Platinum Games would seek to revive the project in the future, but as of now, work on the project has been concluded.
