Bayonetta 3 Release Date, Trailer, And Characters - What We Know So Far

"Bayonetta" is nothing short of legendary, even though the series only includes two games. Since its debut in 2009, there has only been two titles following the title character, Bayonetta, the last surviving member of the Umbra Witch clan. "Bayonetta 2" in 2014 for the Wii U marks the series' last release. "Bayonetta 3," a highly anticipated sequel, was announced formally in 2017 at The Game Awards and has been subject to much speculation, but outside of a few small glimpses into the gameplay, not much is known about the series' third entry.

Finally, after years of waiting, fans of the series are being let in on more details about the upcoming "Bayonetta 3." We finally have more concrete details on when the game will be coming out and what characters — both new and old — will be along for the ride, thanks to a new trailer revealing all of the juicy details that fans have been clamoring for.

For a while, "Bayonetta 3" stood as one of Nintendo's most anticipated games without a release date. But after five years of hype, it was revealed towards the end of its newest trailer that "Bayonetta 3" will be released on October 28, 2022. Originally published by Sega across virtually every platform with its first release in 2009, "Bayonetta 3" will make the second time the series will be published under the Nintendo umbrella exclusively. The series' previous title, "Bayonetta 2," was released exclusively on the Wii U in 2014 before being ported over to the Switch in 2018. Therefore, it's safe to expect "Bayonetta 3" will remain exclusively on the Switch.

Of course, the "Bayonetta" series is known for its sensual themes and imagery and is certainly one of those games that you might not want to play in front of other people. To allow people with sensibilities that may conflict with the scantily clad nature of the characters in "Bayonetta 3," Platinum Games has added a mode called "Naive Angel" which, when enabled, shows significantly less skin than the default experience.

To commemorate the game receiving an official release date, a new trailer for "Bayonetta 3" was released on July 13, 2022. This new trailer showcases the hack-n-slash action the series has become synonymous with over the years, as well as small glimpses into its story, art style, and setting. Bayonetta can be seen exuding her signature sass as she dispatches of massive boss creatures and ill-equipped sentries, and even using more friendly creatures to traverse up and down walls — all at a crisp and clean 60 frames per second.

Overall, the trailer seems to be quite successful early on, garnering tens of thousands of views within hours of being posted to the official GameSpot YouTube channel. Reception seems to be mostly positive as well, with the "Bayonetta 3" trailer collecting thousands of likes already as well as many comments expressing excitement about the game's impending release. One comment predicted the game would be "another 10/10 from Platinum [Games]," while others were relieved that the game is finally on course to be released after an extensive development cycle.

As with every "Bayonetta" game, the central figure is the series' title character Bayonetta, a butt-kicking Umbra Witch known for her nonchalant and brazen attitude when taking on her enemies. While this cool demeanor has clearly been retained for "Bayonetta 3," Bayonetta herself might sound different, as the character is seemingly no longer voiced in English by Hellena Taylor. In the reveal trailer, several familiar supporting cast members also make cameos including Rodan, Luka, and Enzo.

The most notable news when it comes to in-game characters, however, is the addition of Viola, a new playable character who is apparently a witch in training and is more aware of the massive threats Bayonetta and company are faced with in "Bayonetta 3," according to TheLoadout. There even appears to be alternate versions of Bayonetta herself, leading many to speculate that the new game will introduce a type of multiverse into the lore. The trailer also makes mention of an "Alphaverse," lending credence to this speculation.

Overall, the "Bayonetta" series as a whole has always featured a collection of misfit and colorful characters to support its charismatic lead. Judging by the release date trailer, fans can expect much of the same with "Bayonetta 3" when it drops in October.