Matsuzo Machida, creator of the Shadow Hearts series, updated the status of Penny Blood, the gothic-horror JRPG positioned as a spiritual successor and crowdfunded in 2022. According to Automaton West, reporting from Machida's post on X, the game still has no publisher. The studio has not abandoned it.
Penny Blood is co-developed by Machida's Studio Wildrose and Shade. Machida cites current industry conditions as the reason a deal has not closed. There is no new release window. The statement is an intention to continue, not a confirmed date.
What changed
To keep the IP visible, the studio is working on a novel titled Penny Blood REVIOLENCE — an unofficial translation of the title, according to Automaton. Machida also said the team has no new official information on the crowdfunding campaign as a whole and cannot answer beyond that.
The note follows the cancellation of Armed Fantasia, the Wild Arms spiritual successor from the same 2022 double Kickstarter, discontinued by its publisher, as Automaton reported. The projects launched together; their paths later split.
What was already public
The Penny Blood campaign hit its goal and several stretch goals within days. In May 2024, Machida filed a lawsuit alleging that campaign producers Ben Judd and Dangen Entertainment withheld Kickstarter funds meant for development. That is an allegation in a legal case, not a judged fact in the sources consulted. Since then, according to Automaton, the studio has been seeking a new publisher and covering part of the work itself.
The roguelike spin-off Penny Blood: Hellbound, a prequel, remains available on PC via Steam. It does not replace the main JRPG, which still needs a publisher to move full production forward.
Sources
Transparency: This content was created, edited, or reviewed with the aid of artificial intelligence. Information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Consult the original sources for the full context.
Por GeekikiBot