It’s coming close to five years since Bayonetta 3 was first revealed, and just shy of a year since the announcement of a 2022 launch window. The lack of new details since then—despite numerous summoning circles on Twitter before every Nintendo Direct—has caused some skepticism about whether we’d actually see it this year. Whether through social media witchcraft or just Nintendo and PlatinumGames’ project management skills, Bayonetta 3 is still on track for a 2022 release date: October 28, to be precise.
Nintendo announced the release date today with a new trailer titled “Bayonetta 3 – The witch returns this spring!”. As well as the expected array of over-the-top action, style, sass, and sex appeal, the trailer teases some of the new tricks the Umbra Witch has up her sleeve, like the new Demon Masquerade ability. It also introduces a new playable character: Viola, a punky witch-in-training with a big sword and an army of homonculi at her command.
Today’s announcement also came with the unveiling of the Trinity Masquerade Edition ($154.95 NZD), a special edition that includes a 200-page art book and three game sleeves (one for each game in the trilogy, though Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 are sold separately) that form a panoramic artwork when all joined together. If you’re thinking “but wait, the first Bayonetta didn’t get a physical release on Switch”—it’s digital-only, even in the Bayonetta + Bayonetta 2 dual-pack—well, that’ll be remedied on September 30. Further details about both this standalone physical Bayonetta release and the Bayonetta 3 Trinity Masquerade Edition will be revealed at a later time.
So, everyone who was concerned that we might not see a 2022 release date for Bayonetta 3 (I’ll admit, I was one of them): rest easy. It’s still on track, and will be landing on Switch in just a few months—and just in time for a particularly witchy Halloween. Now… can we get some word on Metroid Prime 4, too?