Shinji Mikami leaving Tango Gameworks following unexpected Hi-Fi Rush success

Another industry great says goodbye.

In the history of video games, there have been many losses that have really affected the industry, both deaths and retirements. Many of these even changed the industry completely. But in some cases, the ones you would least expect to retire are the ones that hurt the most.

And that’s what has happened in a surprising way today. Shinji Mikami, creative leader of Tango Gameworks, announces that he is leaving the studio that he founded. He is a creative that has become so important in the industry that both Phil Spencer and other industry greats have stopped to thank him for all those incredible games.

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Arigato Mikami-san for all your work!

It’s not common to see after a successful release, the retirement of a creative. One would expect that after a release like the one Hi-Fi Rush had, Shinji Mikami would be encouraged to continue creating amazing games. But, surprisingly for us, the industry, and even for Tango Gameworks, the Japanese creative has taken the decision to retire.

Hi-Fi Rush Gameplay
Hi-Fi Rush Gameplay

If you live under rocks or just play battle royale games, you may not know Mikami-san. Shinji Mikami has been one of the masterminds behind such great games as Resident Evil, The Evil Within franchise, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Tango Gameworks’ recent release, Hi-Fi Rush. But not only this, but he has also participated in different projects throughout his career.

Thanks to this, Mikami has become one of the leaders of the industry, despite not having made so much noise in the news media. However, many big names in the industry echoed this decision and thanked Mikami-san for all the work he has done over the years. Both Bethesda’s Twitter account, as well as Phil Spencer, have dedicated a message to this legend.

From here at Game Freaks 365, we wish Shinji Mikami all the best in the future. Let’s hope that this farewell is not definitive and that in the future, you give us another of your great works. In the meantime, thank you for leaving us all those games you were part of. Arigato Mikami-san, we hope to see you soon!