Hideki Kamiya, the tenured game developer most known for his work on Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, Viewtiful Joe, and Scalebound, is officially leaving PlatinumGames, the studio he helped co-found in 2006. The news was announced by PlatinumGames on Twitter/X, with Kamiya later confirming the news on his own personal account.
While no firm reason was provided, it does appear Kamiya has chosen to move onto other projects, as he has promised to “continue to create in [his] Hideki Kamiya way” – and claimed that fans should “keep [their] eyes peeled” in future.
“As announced on the official PlatinumGames X account, I will be leaving PlatinumGames on October 12, 2023,” Kamiya said. “This came after a lot of consideration based on my own beliefs and was by no means an easy decision to make. However, I feel this outcome is for the best.”
For its part, PlatinumGames has thanked Kamiya for his contributions over the last two decades, while expressing regret over his departure.
“We regret to announce that Hideki Kamiya will be leaving PlatinumGames on October 12, 2023,” the studio said. “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 endeavours as a game creator. We are looking forward to seeing the games industry grow into a better place with him in it. We wish him all the best for the future!”
Read: PlatinumGames still wants to resurrect Scalebound
Over the last two decades, Kamiya has become synonymous with PlatinumGames, producing a vast array of titles for the company – most notably, the famed Bayonetta series, which stars a magical witch armed with unique firearms. He also oversaw the development of The Wonderful 101 while at PlatinumGames, a superhero adventure game, and Scalebound, a cancelled Xbox One exclusive game about a hero with a dragon companion.
Beyond his tenure at PlatinumGames, Kamiya has wide experience in the games industry, having first made a name for himself at Capcom, working on the Resident Evil and Devil May Cry franchises, and later taking a role at Capcom offshoot Clover Studio, where he worked on Viewtiful Joe and Ōkami.
Kamiya has not announced his next moves, but wherever he goes, his work will likely be worth watching. Stay tuned for the creator’s next steps, as he departs PlatinumGames in October 2023.
