Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya announces departure from Platinum Games

In an unexpected turn of events, Platinum Games co-founder Hideki Kamiya will no longer work at the acclaimed Japanese game company. As confirmed by the official X (formerly Twitter) account, the studio head will be departing to pursue his own interests next month.

This comes as a surprise to most fans as Kamiya has been responsible for some of the biggest games in the character-action genre. From Devil May Cry and Okami to Bayonetta and even Resident Evil, his genius has contributed to some of the best titles ever made.

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Why is Hideki Kamiya leaving Platinum Games?

Here is the full statement from the studio:

It reads as follows:

"We regret to announce that Hideki Kamiya will be leaving PlatinumGames on October 12, 2023.

"We are truly grateful for his creative ideas, leadership, and contribution to the growth of PlatinumGames from our start-up to this very day.

We believe that he will continue to succeed in his future endeavors as a game creator. We are looking forward to seeing the game industry grow into a better place with him in it. We wish him all the best for the future!"

Given Kamiya helped establish the studio behind big-name titles like NieR Automata and Bayonetta 3, his departure will certainly be missed by fellow developers. With this statement, it is clear that he will not stop making games.

Simply put, it seems like Kamiya will move forward with his expertise and continue making games as an independent creator.

Given his extensive portfolio, he clearly will not need much effort recruiting for an indie team to continue realizing his gaming visions. However, thus far, why he made the decision to leave Platinum Games has not been confirmed. Hideki Kamiya also made an update on his official X account:

The only thing that is clear here is that this decision was his own undertaking, and it was a difficult one at that. However, fans should not lose hope, as there will be more to come.

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What is Hideki Kamiya famous for?

Originally a Capcom employee, he has worked on prestigious games such as the original Resident Evil and Devil May Cry titles. Before establishing the Platinum Games brand, he was at Clover Studios and played a big role in shaping the underrated cult-classic action-adventure game Okami.

His first project at Platinum Games, Bayonetta, was what shot him to stardom. Starring the titular Umbran Witch, Bayonetta was praised universally as an excellent Devil May Cry spiritual successor. It remains to be seen how games currently in development, like Project G.G., will turn out without him at the helm.

Despite his penchant for blocking users for petty reasons, fans will certainly look forward to his upcoming endeavors. Perhaps we might eventually get an indie successor to the ill-fated Scalebound project.