Just when we thought we had Shinji Mikami’s next move figured out, he throws a massive curveball. It looks like the legendary Resident Evil creator might be teaming up with one of the hottest action studios in the industry right now.
Today, Mikami’s new independent studio, Unbound, posted a highly suggestive teaser on X (formerly Twitter). The post featured a photo of Mikami alongside Kim Hyung Tae, the director behind Shift Up’s blockbuster action game Stellar Blade.
The caption read: “さあ、一緒に行こう。忘れられない体験を作り上げよう。” (Come on, let’s go together. Let’s create an unforgettable experience.)
While neither studio has officially confirmed the exact nature of the project, the pageantry around the post strongly suggests a collaborative game reveal is imminent. We already know that Unbound has been staffing up to build a massive, AAA Action RPG in Unreal Engine 5. We also know that Mikami explicitly wants to step away from the survival horror genre for his next major project.
Partnering with Kim Hyung Tae—a director renowned for creating blisteringly fast, hyper-stylized action combat—makes perfect sense for Mikami’s jump into the Action RPG space. If Unbound is handling the world-building and narrative scope while Shift Up consults or collaborates on the combat mechanics, we could be looking at an absolute powerhouse of a game.
Whatever Mikami and Kim are cooking up, it appears a formal announcement is right around the corner. We will be watching this one very closely.
