Igarashi Welcomes WayForward to the Bloodstained Team

A good way to guarantee the quality of a video game is to hire a team of talented developers. Sometimes, that means outsourcing.

Earlier today, Koji Igarashi updated the Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s Kickstarter page with some promising news. No, he didn’t give a release date, but this announcement is a close second: WayForward is joining the game’s development.

If the name WayForward sounds familiar, you’re probably a fan of Shantae, the titular star of the Shantae franchise. The series started on the Game Boy Color and has since become an indie blockbuster that has appeared on every major console. Shantae is so popular, she was even a major contender in the Smash Ballot for Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U/3DS.

WayForward might be known for the Shantae series, but the company is no stranger to the metroidvania genre. WayForward’s last game, The Mummy Demastered, is a metroidvania title that is a tie-in to the 2017 film The Mummy. While the movie bombed —which crushed Universal Pictures’ dreams of a new cinematic universe filled with re-imagined classic movie monsters— the game ironically received rave reviews, especially for its art design and game mechanics. The Mummy Demastered’s critical reception speaks volumes for the WayForward team’s talent and passion.

While WayForward has a history of developing exciting games, the studio will apparently work on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night in a strictly support role, squashing bugs and helping speed up general development. Regardless, Igarashi is thrilled to work with WayForward, especially since a member of WayForward’s staff worked on one of his previous projects. And Igarashi isn’t alone in this elation.

While Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has been pushed back countless times (it was originally supposed to release in March 2017), many backers remain hopeful the game will live up to expectations. The Kickstarter page’s comment section is filled with backers who support WayForward’s involvement.

We will keep our eyes peeled for more information on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.