Shinji Mikami is leaving Tango Gameworks

Resident Evil co-creator off to pastures new

[Update: Bethesda Softworks has confirmed that Shinji Mikami is leaving Tango Gameworks.]

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— Bethesda (@bethesda) February 23, 2023

Original Article:

Reports are circulating this morning that legendary game director Shinji Mikami is set to take his leave of studio Tango Gameworks, which Mikami himself found just shy of 13 years ago.

Website TrueAchievements reports that it has seen and verified an email, penned by Bethesda senior president Todd Vaughn, that was sent to all employees of Tango Gameworks holding company ZeniMax Media. The email states that Mikami will depart his studio at some point in the coming months.

“Mikami-san has been a creative leader and supportive mentor to young developers at Tango for 12 years through his work on the Evil Within franchise, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and of course, Hi-Fi Rush,” reads a transcription of the email, which also calls the latter release “one of the most successful launches for Bethesda and Xbox in recent years, [generating] significant positive momentum for the business and Tango.”

“We wish Mikami-san well in the future and are excited by what lies ahead for the talented developers at Tango.”

A journeyman developer and game director, Mikami made a name for himself during his time with Capcom, where he co-created the Resident Evil franchise, directing key titles in the survival horror series. Mikami would later work alongside other studios, developing dynamic sci-fi shooter Vanquish for PlatinumGames, and co-producing Shadows of the Damned for Goichi Suda’s Grasshopper Manufacture.

Mikami founded Tango Gameworks in March of 2010. The studio has produced a number of successful titles in the past decade, including horror adventures The Evil Within and The Evil Within 2, cyberpunk actioner Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the recently launched Hi-Fi Rush. If Mikami is leaving the studio he created, then it will be interesting to see what is on the horizon for the visionary game-maker, or whether he intends to step away from the industry altogether.

Founder and studio head Shinji Mikami to leave Tango Gameworks [TrueAchievements]