Following an announcement of the titular heroine arriving in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as DLC, Nintendo appears to be ceasing retail production of Bayonetta 2.

NeoGAF user AgentOtaku noticed Saturday in this thread that the game’s Ebay and Amazon listings are now supplied exclusively by third party sellers, and the price has hiked to at least $80.

It’s worth noting the game is available via Nintendo’s eShop for $50 with a discount for the original Bayonetta as opposed to the increased online prices. Nintendo still has it listed as available through retailers, however at least in Cincinnati, Ohio where this article is being written, there are no copies available from any of them for at least 250 miles around.

Bayonetta, voted in by fans poll hosted by Nintendo, will appear with her own stage in Super Smash Bros. in February.

My Opinion:

The timing of this is interesting, considering it’s right on the heels of the Smash Direct. Is Nintendo making a digital push? Are they doing their classic routine of creating an artificial shortage? The easiest answer is they simply didn’t make enough copies, something they have a bit of history with (see: amiibo, so very many first party games). Either way, it’s building buzz that can only help the company.

Christian Glass is a MONG Associate Writer. He’s a big competitive Smash fan. Plup has his heart. You can love him on Twitter, Twitch, and Instagram