What you need to know
- Shinji Mikami has been making video games since 1990, and founded his own studio, Tango Gameworks, in 2010.
- Nearly 13 years later, Mikami is officially departing Tango Gameworks and leaving its talented members behind.
- It's not clear if Mikami is planning something new for the future, or if he's simply retiring.
- The teams behind The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Hi-Fi RUSH remain at Tango Gameworks.
There are only a few names in the video games industry that can elicit consistently excited responses from passionate gamers, and "Shinji Mikami" is one of them. Starting his career in 1990 at Capcom, Mikami helped create the legendary Resident Evil and Dino Crisis franchises before founding his own studio in 2010. Now, nearly 13 years later, it has been revealed that Mikami is leaving Tango Gameworks behind.
A short but sweet post from the official Bethesda account confirms that Shinji Mikami intends to leave his position as CEO of Tango Gameworks in the "coming months," likely to prepare the studio, and possibly his successor, for his departure.
pic.twitter.com/yP6WaSxOunFebruary 23, 2023
It's unclear what the future holds for Mikami, but it has been known for some time that he has been considering retirement. Surrounding the release of action-adventure game Ghostwire: Tokyo in 2022, Mikami revealed in interviews that he may want to direct one more game before that time. However, it seems the legendary creator may be content with the work he's done to nurture the talent at Tango Gameworks.
Since its founding, Tango Gameworks has released two entries in The Evil Within franchise, which still remain some of the best horror games on Xbox. Of course, PlayStation exclusive Ghostwire: Tokyo dramatically changed things up (and may come to Xbox in the future). Finally, Tango Gameworks just released Hi-Fi RUSH, a critically acclaimed rhythm-brawler that took the world by storm when it suddenly shadow dropped at the end of Jan. 2023.
Windows Central's take
Shinji Mikami was the hand behind some of my favorite video games, and it's sad to see him leave the studio he has spent over a decade nurturing into a gem of the Xbox Game Studios family. Still, whether he has his eyes set on a new project or if he's simply ready for retirement, I sincerely wish him well. Either way, Tango Gameworks seems to be in good hands under the Xbox umbrella.
After all, Hi-Fi RUSH was directed by John Johanas, a game designer who has been with Tango Gameworks since nearly the very beginning. Considering the sheer quality and creativity squeezed into that brilliant game (which is already on the shortlist for my top games of the year), the future of Tango Gameworks is very exciting indeed.
I just hope we still see The Evil Within 3.
Shinji Mikami may be leaving, but Tango Gameworks isn't going anywhere, and all its future games will land in Xbox Game Pass on launch day. In fact, you can go play The Evil Within and Hi-Fi RUSH right now.
