Shinji Mikami has shared the first concrete details for Unbound Games Studio. While the company was founded in November 2022, a new report confirms the team is now deep in production on a high end project.
Studio Foundation and Staffing
The studio began operations in May 2023 with Mikami serving as the representative director. As of April 2025, the team consists of 53 members, with plans to grow the staff to between 100 and 150 people. The roster features a high concentration of veteran talent from iconic Japanese franchises:
- Resident Evil and The Evil Within: Multiple staff members with experience on Mikami’s previous series have joined.
- Silent Hill and Onimusha: The team includes developers who worked on these classic horror and action titles.
- Producer Masato Kimura: The former producer of Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi RUSH is a key member of the leadership team.
The First Project: Quality AAA, Volume AA
The first game from Unbound Games Studio is a high end AAA title using Unreal Engine 5. The game is slated for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox. Rather than chasing the massive scale and seven year development cycles seen in overseas studios, Mikami is implementing a “Quality is AAA, Volume is AA” policy.
The goal is to create a rich, immersive experience that stays realistic for a Japanese development cycle. The studio is also working on small and medium sized projects in parallel. This approach allows the team to explore different creative ideas while giving new talent room to grow.
Editor’s Take
The launch of Unbound Games Studio shows that Shinji Mikami is finished with the bloat that has ruined so many modern projects. For years, we have seen Japanese studios try to match the massive scale of Western giants while losing their own identity in the process.
This “Quality AAA, Volume AA” strategy is a necessary middle ground. It lets the team focus on top tier mechanics and visuals without getting bogged down by endless checklists or being too beholden to an investor. The rule is simple: the more reasonable the budget, the less copies have to be sold to break even.
Having Silent Hill and Onimusha veterans alongside the Hi-Fi RUSH team is a powerhouse lineup. Mikami knows how to build a group that punches above its weight class. If this means we get a tight, polished action experience every few years, the industry is better for it.
Source: 4Gamer.net
