Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will be coming to the Nintendo Switch, according to an update post on the game’s Kickstarter page. The Switch version will come as a trade-off, though, as the announcement also confirms that the game’s previously promised Wii U version will no longer be happening.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is described as a “spiritual successor” to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and is being made by the same creator, Koji “IGA” Igarashi. Igarashi explains in today’s Kickstarter post the reasoning for the decision to drop Wii U support in favor of the Nintendo Switch:
During our Kickstarter campaign, the Wii U was at the height of its popularity, but the situation has drastically changed after the release of Nintendo Switch.
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.
The Wii U version of Bloodstained was initially a Kickstarter goal, reached after the game’s crowdfunding surpassed $3 million. To account for the number of backers who likely feel left high and dry by today’s announcement, the Bloodstained Kickstarter has included a number of provisions to smooth the transition for supporters who selected to receive the Wii U version of the game.
For those who want to switch to the Nintendo Switch version of the game, the change will take place automatically, with no action required. Backers who want to switch out their Wii U version for either a PC, PS4, or Xbox One, or Vita version need only to go back into their Kickstarter survey and change their survey answers.
A refund is also being offered to players who desire it, given the sudden nature of today’s announcement, provided they meet the following criteria:
- You filled out your backer survey and selected the Wii U version prior to this update.
- You backed at an unlimited tier ($28 to $500)
- You are able to receive a refund via PayPal
- You submit your refund request before the April 20, 2017 deadline.
Backers are encouraged to stay tuned to the game’s Kickstarter updates page, where it is promised that a regularly scheduled update will soon surface with “introductions for three of the characters Miriam will meet as Bloodstained gets underway…”.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, initially scheduled to release around this month, is currently slated for release in the first half of 2018.