Stellar Blade developer Shift Up has acquired Unbound, the studio set up by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami following his departure from Tango Gameworks in 2023.
The two companies announced they were “joining forces”, with the decision coming after Mikami and Hyung Tae Kim – Shift Up’s boss – realised that they shared similar ideas and visions when it came to making games.
“We decided to aim for the same goals together,” the duo said in a video announcing the partnership (watch below, and yes there are plenty of beasties making cameos). “In other words, at Unbound, we’re going to create a masterpiece of a game.” As for what that game is, Unbound is currently working on an original PC and console-based IP.
“Through this acquisition, Sift Up has successfully integrated world-class development talent and expanded its new PC and console-based pipeline,” a statement on today’s acquisition news reads. “Furthermore, the company plans to directly handle the publishing of Unbound’s upcoming titles and gradually build its own global service capabilities.”
Kim finds it “deeply meaningful to join forces” with Unbound. “This acquisition will serve as an opportunity to deliver the best gaming experience to users worldwide and further solidify Shift Up’s global development competitiveness,” the CEO said.
“I am very pleased to be partnering with Shift Up CEO Hyung-Tae Kim and all the employees,” Mikami added. “I sense strong synergy with CEO Kim, who is also an active creator, and I believe this is an ideal partnership that allows us to focus on creativity. We will do our best to create fun games so that both companies, working as one, can meet our fans’ expectations.”
