Former Capcom and Tango Gameworks developer Shinji Mikami is teasing his return to gaming industry after leaving the ZeniMax-owned studio. The news came just moments after Hideki Kamiya, Mikami’s colleague, left PlatinumGames today.
Mikami started his career in the gaming industry in 1990 with Capcom, and he would go on to direct the first Resident Evil game in 1996. He would return to direct the 2002 remake of Resident Evil and 2005’s ultra-successful Resident Evil 4. He left Capcom in 2006, co-founded PlatinumGames that same year, and founded Tango Gameworks in 2010. The last game Mikami worked on at Tango Gameworks was Hi-Fi RUSH.
Shinji Mikami is Free of the Non-Compete Clause
On Twitter, Shinji Mikami confirms that his non-compete clause after leaving Tango Gameworks has finally lifted. This means that he may work in the gaming industry without violating rules from his previous contract. His colleague Hideki Kamiya must wait an entire year before working in the gaming industry again, however. At the very least, Mikami may now pursue his ambitions as a developer once more.
Now that I've broken the spell of non-competition on myself, I guess I should get to work.
— 三上 真司 (@shinji_mikami) October 12, 2023
Here’s the statement Bethesda released this past February:
“We can confirm that Shinji Mikami has decided to leave Tango Gameworks in the coming months. We thank him for his work as a creative leader and supportive mentor to young developers on The Evil Within franchise, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and, of course, Hi-Fi RUSH.
“We wish Mikami-san well in the future and are excited by what lies ahead from the talented developers at Tango.”
Meanwhile, Hideki Kamiya opened his new YouTube channel and reiterated that he left PlatinumGames to follow his beliefs as a game creator. Kamiya confirms that he can’t work in the games industry for a year, which is more than likely due to a non-compete clause just like Mikami. He will pass the time by making YouTube videos and connecting with his fans online.
