Clovers studio lead Hideki Kamiya confirmed multiple directors have left PlatinumGames, including Astral Chain director and NieR: Automata designer Takahisa Taura, Kenji Saito (Metal Gear Rising director), Masaki Yamanaka (Anarchy Reigns director), Yusuke Miyata (Bayonetta 3 director), and Abebe Tinari (Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon director).
In a new YouTube video, Kamiya also shared footage of a “PlatinumGames directors drinking party” with Taura, Saito, Yamanaka, Miyata, and Tinari.
Previously, Taura updated his Facebook page in January with references to “Eel Game Studio.” It’s unclear whether Taura founded the new studio after leaving PlatinumGames or went freelance. The company is based in Tokyo instead of Osaka, where PlatinumGames is primarily based out of. Similarly, in December 2024, Tinari made a post on Bluesky with a video of him changing his profile to say “director based in Helsinki (the capital of Finland),” instead of Osaka.
Despite these reported departures, PlatinumGames plans to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Bayonetta. Celebrations for the Bayonetta 15th anniversary will last one full year, according to PlatinumGames. You can also now download official Bayonetta New Year’s wallpapers on the PlatinumGames website.
In addition, the company is developing Ninja Gaiden 4 in collaboration with Koei Tecmo and Team NINJA. The game is planned to launch in fall 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows and Steam. Ninja Gaiden 4 features two playable characters, the new protagonist Yakumo from the Raven clan and the returning series lead, Ryu Hayabusa. Players can expect all-new movesets, challenging levels, and high-speed dynamic action that PlatinumGames is known for.
Kamiya is currently working with Capcom on a sequel to the beloved Okami game.