Nintendo has confirmed that 's sequel delayed to 2023, so it wouldn't have been out of the question for Bayonetta 3 to also be pushed back a year as game development across the world recovers from the effects of the global pandemic.
Bayonetta 3 was originally revealed during The Game Awards 2017, with a brief cinematic trailer showing Bayonetta being gunned down by a mysterious new foe. Fans had to wait a while longer to learn more, to the point where there was speculation that Bayonetta 3 had been canceled. It was finally revealed during the September 2021 Nintendo Direct that Bayonetta 3 was set to launch in 2022, through a gameplay trailer that showed off Bayonetta's new look, as well as the new giant monster battles that will be part of the game.
The second trailer for confirmed its 2022 release date, but no new information has been given regarding the game since the September 2021 Nintendo Direct, leading to concern over a delay. Nintendo has now shut down rumors of a delay for Bayonetta 3 in its latest financial report for 2022. The report can be seen on the official Nintendo website, and it lists Bayonetta 3 among the "2022" games. It shares this loose release window with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which are listed as "Late 2022" titles.
The document outlines several reasons why a Bayonetta 3 delay wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, as the Nintendo Switch has a packed 2022 already. The system just saw the release of Nintendo Switch Sports, and it will soon be ed by Mario Strikers: Battle League, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Houses, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak in June, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in July, and Splatoon 3 in September. The Nintendo Switch's 2022 schedule is stacked, so if Bayonetta 3 did need more time, then there would still be plenty of games coming in the year.
It's likely that Bayonetta 3 will be shown again during the next Nintendo Direct, which will probably happen over the summer, even with the absence of E3 in 2022. The release date will hopefully be given and it will probably be late in the year, following the release of Splatoon 3 and maybe launching in the same time frame as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The Bayonetta and Pokémon franchises are aimed at different audiences, so there's no fear of Bayonetta stealing the holiday season from the next mainline Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch. Whatever the case, it will be great for to finally launch on Nintendo Switch after so long.
Bayonetta 3 is currently in development for Nintendo Switch and is set to launch in 2022.
Source: Nintendo
