Shinji Mikami, founder and studio head of Tango Gameworks, has announced his departure from the studio about a month after releasing smash hit Hi-Fi Rush. The studio, which is a part of Bethesda and owned by Microsoft, has previously released horror games The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, and Ghostwire Tokyo. Bethesda has not announced his replacement as studio head at this time.
Mikami’s departure was originally reported by TrueAchievements, which obtained an internal email from senior vice president of development at Bethesda Todd Vaughn, who said that Mikami has made the decision to leave in the following months. In the email, Vaughn said Hi-Fi Rush was “one of the most successful launches for Bethesda and Xbox in recent years.” Bethesda later confirmed the report on Twitter, announcing the departure of Mikami.
While Mikami has not made a statement nor has his next plans been revealed, it seems like Tango Gameworks is in a strong place to continue without him. While he served as an executive producer and studio head for the development of Hi-Fi Rush, the game was written and directed by John Johanas.
Related: Hi-Fi Rush Review – A Certified Banger
Mikami also did not direct Ghostwire Tokyo, Tango Gameworks first-person action game from last year, which should be arriving on Xbox Game Pass sometime in March. While the reason for his departure is unclear, considering that he will be leaving “in the coming months,” it doesn’t seem like a bad break-up.
Mikami previously worked at Capcom, with his most notable role as the creator of Resident Evil, who worked on the series up through Resident Evil 4. He also has credits on Dino Crisis and Viewtiful Joe from his time at Capcom. Mikami founded Tango Gameworks in 2010, which Bethesda would acquire before releasing The Evil Within in 2014.
– This article was updated on February 23rd, 2023
