Legendary game designer Shinji Mikami is reportedly leaving Tango Gameworks, the Japanese studio that has been owned by Xbox since Microsoft acquired Bethesda.
This report comes from TrueAchievements, which claims to have seen internal email documents announcing Mikami’s departure from the studio. Here’s what Bethesda SVP Todd Vaughn reportedly wrote about Mikami’s departure:
I am writing to you today to inform you that the head of the studio, Shinji Mikami, has decided to leave Tango Gameworks in the coming months.
Mikami-san has been a creative leader and supportive mentor for young developers at Tango for 12 years through his work on the Evil Within franchise, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and of course, Hi-Fi Rush.”
If the report is accurate, Mikami’s departure comes as the studio wraps up development on two major Xbox projects. The fantastic surprise Hi-Fi RUSH launched last month to critical acclaim, while the current PS5 exclusive Ghostwire: Tokyo it’s almost certainly on the eve of its Xbox release, with Sony’s one-year exclusivity window set to expire at the end of March 2023.
For now, we are awaiting official confirmation of this news from Tango and/or Bethesda. If necessary, contributing to Hi-Fi RUSH is a good alto point to finish!