Update (14:15 GMT): Bethesda has now publicly announced the departure of Shinji Mikami from Tango Gameworks. The long-time developer will leave the company "in the coming months", with Bethesda posting this statement on his exit:
Original Story (11:00 GMT): Legendary game designer Shinji Mikami is reportedly leaving Tango Gameworks, the Japanese studio that's been under Xbox ownership since Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda.
This report comes by way of TrueAchievements, who claims to have seen internal email documents announcing Mikami's departure from the studio. Here's what Bethesda senior vice president Todd Vaughn reportedly wrote about Mikami's exit:
"I am writing today to let you know that studio head Shinji Mikami has decided to leave Tango Gameworks 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."
Bethesda also issued a statement to the outlet, adding to what was said via the leaked email:
"We wish Mikami-san well in the future and are excited by what lies ahead for the talented developers at Tango."
Mikami's departure comes as the studio wraps up development on two big Xbox projects. The fantastic Hi-Fi RUSH surprise launched last month to critical acclaim, while current PS5 exclusive Ghostwire: Tokyo is almost certainly on the eve of its Xbox launch, with Sony's one year exclusivity window set to expire towards the end of March 2023.
For now, we'll have to wait and see if Tango and/or Bethesda address this through their own public channels. If Mikami's exit is swift, contributing to Hi-Fi RUSH is a nice high point to end on!
What do you make of this news? Drop your favourite Shinji Mikami game down in the comments!
[source trueachievements.com]
Comments 22
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."
@IronMan30 He's 57. Some have said he's retiring but that isn't confirmed. Regardless he leaves Tango Game Works in a strong place. John Johanas who directed The Evil Within 2 and Hi-Fi Rush, Kenji Kimura who directed Ghotwire, and the rest of the team are still there.
Their concern will be if Mikami sets up his own studio again, will some of the staff follow.
@Skedaddle Every time I see your profile pic I hear the Starfield theme in my head and get excited
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.
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.
@mousieone Tango Gameworks is the studio he founded, he won't want to leave it in a bad place, when there isn't bad blood leaving is often announced in advance to give time to get everything in order.
But quite often veteran developers in this industry tire of working on AAA games, or being controlled by someone else, and just want to work on something smaller and more agile. While I don't think it's likely, it is a possibility.
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.
@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.
@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.
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