Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101 director Hideki Kamiya departing PlatinumGames

PlatinumGames co-founder Hideki Kamiya is departing the Bayonetta, Nier: Automata, and The Wonderful 101 developer after almost two decades.

Kamiya established Platinum in 2006 alongside Shinji Mikami and Atsushi Inaba, having previously directed notable titles including Devil May Cry, Okami, and Resident Evil 2 during his time at Capcom.

Platinum broke the news on social media and explained Kamiya intends to depart 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," reads a statement posted on X.

"We believe that he will continue to succeed in his future endeavours 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."

Kamiya said the decision to leave "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," he added on X. "I will continue to create in my Hideki Kamiya way. I hope you'll keep your eyes peeled."

Platinum has expanded beyond its Osaka headquarters in recent years, opening new offices in Tokyo and Fukuoka after entering into a "capital alliance" with Tencent.

After opening its third office in 2022, the company explained it needed to grow to "bring players bigger and better titles" and support the recruitment of "top talent."

The studio is currently working on an original franchise dubbed "Project G.G." that was announced back in 2020. The as-yet-unnamed title was being directed by Kamiya prior to his departure. It's currently unclear who'll be taking over the production moving forward.