Report: Resident Evil Creator Shinji Mikami Is Leaving Xbox Studio Tango Gameworks

That's a pretty huge loss, but I think he is getting up there in age.

It was confirmed as true by TrueAchievements in their story. "Confirming the email's veracity, Bethesda issued a statement to TA reiterating the email's message, adding, "We wish Mikami-san well in the future and are excited by what lies ahead for the talented developers at Tango."

All the legends have been retiring or feel off. It's a different era these days, that's for sure.

@KlipKlop Edited the wording slightly, I misjudged that section a little bit. Ty!

@themightyant it certainly isn't the end of the world.

@JayJ In the wise words of Thanos: "Dread it, fear it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same". At this point a large number of old gaming veterans start to leave and it is inevitable. The one I specially cared about, Kojima, is also sadly deep in a franchise I cannot connect with at all.

Mikami made his mark. He helped shape an entire genre. For someone who has accomplished so much, it has to be difficult to stay motivated. That said, he wanted to make something different and his studio got to do that with Hi-Fi Rush. He could've intended that to be his swan song all along.

I think Tango will be fine without him, but it's always sad to see such an influential person leave.

@themightyant The email says he’s leaving over the next few months. This doesn’t feel like something you’d do if you wanted to make your own studio. But who knows.

Legend. Vanquish is probably my favorite Mikami game but he is leaving Tango in a great place.

Good luck to him, whatever he decides to do next. He might not be a youngling, but it would be foolish to ignore his contributions and value (which Bethesda and MS seem to recognize). On creative and leadership level, game design might not be as much of a young man's game as people think. Proper understanding of game loop and "what works and why" takes time and experience.

Hope he goes to capcom to work on another resident evil

@BrilliantBill Yup, Kojima hasn't done anything I really cared for since Metal Gear Solid 3, he is one of those figures that managed to become a cult of personality in a sense where he's like a big celebrity in the gaming scene, and I think some of that fame went to his head.

@JayJ Yeah and Death Stranding kind of has become a vessel for him to be movie maker and work with top Hollywood talent, good for him that he is able to live his dreams in this industry of copy and paste game design. But it still isn't for me.
I think some of his excesses were already showing a big in MGSV as well.

@BrilliantBill Yeah it's no wonder he has fit in so well with Sony these days, his focus on cinematic gaming suits them perfectly.

the end of tango
without him it's nothing

evil within 2 was a great game that was a commercial failure

Well Evil Within was something new, Tango lost a chance to evolve from there. Well deserved retirement for the man

Evil Within 2 was directed by John Johanas, same guy that directed Hi-Fi Rush, Evil Within series is in safe hands

@TheSilverFalcon "Evil Within 2 was directed by John Johanas, same guy that directed Hi-Fi Rush"

Wow, both great games too. EW2 is so underrated. A great horror action game. Are they working on the next EW or something else.. hmmm

@JayJ Kojima became crazy, I think.

@BrilliantBill And you are right, Metal Gear Solid V was like a Kojima advertisement and the best things about it were not made by them: smooth gameplay and performance, awesome graphics...

Back on topic, Shinji Mikami is for me as important as Miyamoto. Shinji has made some of the best games I've played such as Resident Evil Remake. I can't explain how important I consider that game in few words. The Evil Within 1 is a masterpiece that is technically slightly rough. Shinji is able to create a horror atmosphere that no other developer/artist has ever achieved. I don't know why he's leaving his own studio, it makes no sense. Big loss for Microsoft, too.

@Banjo- But did the Evil Within games enjoy financial success? I think they never quite registered the way you expected from a Mikami game.

@BrilliantBill I checked on vgchartz.com and most of the data about the two games is unavailable. I can't find global sales for either title except the PC version of the first game, 0.74m. Perhaps a third game would sell better now that horror is popular again and/or be successful on Game Pass.