In an internal email sent to ZeniMax staff and shared by TrueAchievements, it was reported that Shinji Mikami would be leaving Tango Gameworks.
The email came from Bethesda’s senior vice president, Todd Vaughn, and revealed that Mikami would be leaving the company after 12 years. “I’m writing today to let you know that studio head Shinji Mikami has decided to lead Tango Gameworks for the next few months,” Vaughn explained.
In 33 years in the gaming industry, Mikami has made a huge impact; he helped create the Resident Evil series and remained committed to the franchise until the release of Resident Evil 4. He then co-produced Shadow of the Damned before founding Tango Gameworks in 2010.
During his time at Tango Gameworks, Mikami directed just one game, and it was the studio’s debut; The Evil Within. He has since gone on to serve as an executive producer on The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and most recently, Hi-Fi Rush.
In an internal email announcing Mikami’s departure, Vaughn said Hi-Fi Rush was “one of the most successful launches for Bethesda and Xbox in recent years” and had “brought significant positive momentum to the business and to Tango.”
Bethesda also issued a statement to TrueAchievement regarding the email, saying “We wish Mikami-san all the best for the future and are excited for the future of Tango’s talented developers.”
However, what is the future of Shinji Mikami? Well, his departure from Tango Gameworks sparked talk of his retirement, but Mikami might not be done with video games just yet. In a 2020 interview, the Resident Evil creators discussed how they hope to sit in the director’s chair again before retiring; hopefully Shinji Mikami will do just that.
