tango games founder Shinji Mikami will leave the company later this year according to parent company Bethesda. Mikami recently worked on The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo and the Xbox Hi-Fi exclusive Rush, the latter of which will continue to receive support from the studio beyond his departure.
What will Shinji Mikami do after leaving Tango Gameworks?
—Bethesda (@bethesda) February 23, 2023
Mikami’s future plans were not revealed, although Bethesda “wishes Mikami-san well in the future”. However, it is believed that the gaming industry veteran will take the opportunity to retire on a high after the success of Hi-Fi Rush. He’s hinted in previous interviews that he feels like he’s past the peak of game development and that the process becomes more difficult once people hit their 40s. Mikami is now 57 years old.
An internal email uncovered by TrueAchievements indicates that Bethesda will continue to support Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush, and will decide the studio’s future direction. There were previous hints of DLC and a sequel for Ghostwire: Tokyo, though it’s unclear if that will now materialize after Mikami’s departure. Tango Gameworks is currently working on bringing the game to Xbox Series X|S and that version is expected to launch next month.