In terms of vampire games, another game put a nail on the Wii U's coffin.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has cancelled its development for the Wii U. However, Wii U's loss is Switch's gain, as the developers are moving the game to Nintendo's new console.
Bloodstained is the spiritual successor to cult hit game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Both games are created by Koji Igarashi, the mind that spawned the gothic-inspired vampire game. Bloodstained will also launch on Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Mac.
A Bloody Change
Writing on the game's official Kickstarter page, creator Igarashi announced the cancellation of the Wii U version and the shift toward the Nintendo Switch.
The game's development started way back in 2015, after Igarashi left Konami, publisher of the Castlevania series. The game entered full development with studio Inti Creates. The game was initially projected for Wii U as it was in its "height of popularity," but the advent of Nintendo Switch forced the developers to make a business decision.
"This change made it difficult to receive the necessary support from the hardware maker, which has led us to drop the Wii U development and shift the development to Nintendo Switch," wrote Igarashi in a translated text. He added that they will give options to backers to choose which platform they want.
Bloodstained joins a list of games that abandoned the Wii U platform in favor of its shiny new cousin, the Switch. Games like Stardew Valley, Rive and Yooka-Laylee were also initially slated for the Wii U.
Kickstarter Backers Need Not Worry
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was able to raise $5.5 million in Kickstarter, making it one of the highest funded games in the site. The inclusion of the Wii U port happened because of the $3 million stretch goal. The game was also slated for release on Windows PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Vita. But the backers who specifically wanted a Wii U release will still get compensated.
The game will be available as a physical and digital copy for Switch. Those who initially supported the Wii U version and wants to shift to Switch need not do anything.
For those who supported the Wii U version and want to move to PC, PS4, Vita, or Xbox One, they must change their preference in the backer survey. Or if they want a full refund, they can do so if they meet the following criteria:
• Filled out backer survey and selected the Wii U version prior to this update
• Backed at an unlimited tier ($28 to $500)
• Able to receive a refund via PayPal
• Submit refund request before the April 20, 2017 deadline
Those eligible for a refund and backed at a two-copy tier can adjust their tier to a single-copy equivalent.
