Tango Gameworks has seen some success over the past year thanks to the launch of Hi-Fi Rush (which recently arrived on PS5). While many awaited to see its next big project, perhaps the most surprising announcement to emerge was that Shinji Mikami would be leaving. As the founder, he would direct The Evil Within and serve as executive producer on The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Hi-Fi Rush.
Speaking to Byking (translation via Automaton-Media), Mikami revealed he wanted to leave for eight years but felt responsible for projects. Interestingly, Tango faced financial troubles within its first year, and after its acquisition by ZeniMax Media, it underwent changes.
“Tango Gameworks is not the name of a company, it’s the name of a department. The company’s name is ZeniMax Asia K.K.” Mikami was permitted to retain the name as a “brand.”
Considered the figurehead, his role as CEO at Tango only lasted six months. “I think many people were under the impression that I was the representative, but I was very close to a rank-and-file employee. I had ‘___ producer’ attached to my name, but I wasn’t an executive or anything of the sort.”
Mikami’s departure is due to several factors, such as fostering an environment for young creators to have more opportunities. The demand for smaller titles helped and went hand-in-hand with his desire to provide more experience for up-and-coming developers. Another reason for leaving is his desire to distance himself from the survival horror genre, which he’s become known for (as seen with Resident Evil and Dino Crisis during his time at Capcom).
It led to the establishment of a new studio, KAMUY, initially spotted on the website for Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. Mikami could work on “one big last project” as a director, provided it’s “completely my vision” from “beginning to end,” but hasn’t announced a new title.
