Resident Evil creator, Shinji Mikami, is reportedly leaving Tango Gameworks

In an internal email sent to ZeniMax employees and shared by TrueAchievements, it has come to light that Shinji Mikami is reportedly leaving Tango Gameworks.

The email comes from Bethesda’s senior vice president, Todd Vaughn, and reveals that Shinji Mikami will be leaving the company after 12 years. “I am writing today to let you know that studio head Shinji Mikami has decided to lead Tango Gameworks in the coming months,” Vaughn explained.

Having been in the games’ industry for 33 years, Shinji Mikami has made a huge impact; he helped to create the Resident Evil series, working on the franchise until Resident Evil 4 had released. He then later collaborated on Shadows of the Damned, before founding Tango Gameworks in 2010.

While with Tango Gameworks, Mikami only directed one game, and it was the studio’s debut; The Evil Within. Following this, he went on to be the executive producer of The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and most recently, Hi-Fi Rush.

In the internal email announcing Mikami’s departure, Vaughn states that Hi-Fi Rush was, “one of the most successful launches for Bethesda and Xbox in recent years,” and has, “generated significant positive momentum for the business and Tango.”

Bethesda has also issued a statement to TrueAchievement’s regarding the email, stating that, “we wish Mikami-san well in the future and are excited by what lies ahead for talented developers at Tango.”

Though, what lies ahead for Shinji Mikami? Well, his departure from Tango Gameworks has sparked conversations surrounding his retirement, but Mikami might not be done with video games just yet. In a 2020 interview, the Resident Evil creator discussed how they wished to sit in the director’s chair one more time before retiring; here’s to hoping that Shinji Mikami gets to do just that.