Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil, Devil May Cry) to leave Tango Gameworks

Japanese studio Tango Gameworks is firing its founder, Shinji Mikami, after twelve years of faithful service.

Involved in the development of The Evil Within within Tango Gameworks, Shinji Mikami quickly abandoned the sequel, as well as the original creations of Ghostwire Tokyo and Hi-Fi RUSH, to allow the new generation to show itself to the public as Ikumi Nakamura and Naoki Katakai. who have since left Tango Gameworks to found the independent studio UNSEEN. A choice that Shinji Mikami will also make, although we don’t yet know if this departure is motivated by a desire to open a new chapter in his huge career in the video game industry or by the need to retire.

Legendary game designer Shinji Mikami leaves Tango Gameworks after 12 years at the studio: https://t.co/OPIpxh44NR

— TrueAchievements (@TrueAchievements) February 23, 2023

Todd Vaughn, Senior Vice President of Development at Bethesda, told Tango Gameworks staff in a statement:

I am writing to you today to inform you that Shinji Mikami has decided to leave Tango Gameworks in the coming months. Mikami-san has been the creative leader and inspirational mentor to young developers at Tango Gameworks for twelve years, working on Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo and, of course, Hi-Fi RUSH. This new license is one of the most successful launches by Bethesda and Microsoft in years. This provided a significant positive boost to Tango Gameworks’ business.

Tango Gameworks, former studio of Shinji Mikami

Shinji Mikami founded the Japanese studio Tango Gameworks in early 2010, which was later acquired by ZeniMax Media, now a subsidiary of Microsoft, later that year. With a career spanning 33 years, Mikami-san boasts one of the most impressive resumes in the business. He created the first Resident Evil and worked on many games in the franchise up until Resident Evil 4. Over the years, he has also worked on other notable games such as Devil May Cry, Dino Crisis, Viewtiful Joe, God Hand and Vanquish.