"I can't give away any details yet, but it's a AAA title for high-end consumers," said Masato Kimura, producer at Unbound Games, in an interview published on the studio's official website. That quote tells you most of what you need to know about where Shinji Mikami is headed next.
Unbound Games Confirmed as Mikami's New Studio
More details have surfaced about Shinji Mikami's post-Tango Gameworks venture. A website for Unbound Games has been live for at least a year but only recently circulated widely, revealing that the studio has been operating since May 2023, with Mikami serving as representative director.
The studio currently employs around 50 people, with plans to scale up to approximately 150. Unbound describes itself as a “fully independent company, developing high-end consumer games, creating original AAA titles.”
Unbound Games studio reveal
What Unbound Is Building
According to active job listings on the studio's site, Unbound Games is currently in development on a "high-end" original IP project. Key details confirmed so far:
- Built on Unreal Engine 5
- Targeting PS5, Xbox, and PC
- Described as an original IP, not tied to any existing franchise
- The studio also has aspirations to work on smaller-scale titles concurrently in the future
Kimura was candid about the studio's ambitions and the realities of AAA development in Japan. "It would be difficult to do the same kind of work in Japan as overseas AAA titles, which require hundreds of billions of yen and hundreds of people working for five to seven years to create," he explained. "So, we're aiming for AAA quality and AA content, which is why we're creating a title that offers a rich gaming experience and allows you to be completely immersed in its world."
What most players miss in that statement is the nuance. Unbound isn't trying to match the sheer scale of something like a Rockstar Games production. The key here is that the studio is targeting the quality bar of AAA while keeping scope manageable for a Japanese independent team.
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Unbound Games has not announced a title name, release window, or any gameplay details for its debut project. All current information comes from job listings and an internal interview on the studio's website.
The Team Behind the Studio
The studio's profile page lists staff with backgrounds across some of the most acclaimed franchises in gaming history, including Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Shadow of the Colossus, and Hi-Fi Rush.
One named collaborator is Masato Kimura, a producer whose credits span Ghostwire: Tokyo, Hi-Fi Rush, Devil May Cry, and Resident Evil. He is described as a longtime Mikami collaborator and appears to be playing a central role at Unbound.
Kimura also spoke to the studio's development philosophy, describing a culture built on iteration and experimentation. "Creating something new requires repeated trial and error, implementation and modification, tinkering, and sometimes even deletion," he said. "Because we create by repeatedly building and breaking, trying this and that, things don't always go as planned, and the content changes constantly."
Powered by Unreal Engine 5
Mikami's Path to Unbound
Shinji Mikami founded Tango Gameworks in 2010, which went on to release The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the critically acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush. He departed the studio in 2023, the same year Unbound was established.
Mikami's legacy at Capcom is hard to overstate. He directed the original Resident Evil, its celebrated 2002 GameCube remake, and Resident Evil 4, titles that shaped the survival horror and action-adventure genres for decades.
Back in 2020, Mikami stated publicly that he wanted to direct one more video game project before retiring, noting that his ideas were not limited to the horror genre. Whether Unbound's debut title will be that final directorial project remains unconfirmed.
Source: Videogameschronicle
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Unbound Games?
Unbound Games is a new independent studio founded by Shinji Mikami in May 2023. It is currently developing an original AAA IP for PS5, Xbox, and PC using Unreal Engine 5.
Has Shinji Mikami announced what game Unbound is making?
No. As of now, no title name, genre, or release date has been revealed. Producer Masato Kimura confirmed it is a AAA title but said no further details could be shared at this time.
Who else works at Unbound Games?
The studio has around 50 employees, with staff who have previously worked on franchises including Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Shadow of the Colossus, and Hi-Fi Rush. Producer Masato Kimura is one confirmed named employee.
