In a major industry move, Shift Up, the developer behind the hit action title Stellar Blade, has acquired Unbound, the new studio founded by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. The deal includes Shift Up's commitment to help create and publish Unbound's upcoming project.
Mikami, the iconic Japanese designer renowned for his work on franchises like Devil May Cry, Dino Crisis, and The Evil Within, established Unbound in 2022 after departing Tango Gameworks. This was before Microsoft's closure of that studio, which later saw Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks acquired and revived by Krafton, the company behind PUBG. Until now, Unbound has operated independently without announcing any projects.
In an announcement video, Mikami hinted at working on "a fairly large game" and confidently stated, "we're going to create a masterpiece of a game." He expressed enthusiasm about the alignment of creative visions, saying, "I've come to see my vision and ideals more clearly, and I don't think I've ever been in a situation where, as a creator, our wavelengths and direction align this closely. So for as long as my career continues, I would really like to keep working together. And for the first time in a while, I'll be fully involved on-site to work on a fairly large game, and I'm really looking forward to it. To all the gamers waiting for this, I hope you can wait just a little longer for its release."
According to a post on Shift Up's website, Unbound is currently developing original IPs for PC and consoles aimed at the global market. Shift Up plans to directly publish Unbound's future titles and gradually enhance its own global service capabilities.
This acquisition marks another ambitious step for the Korean developer Shift Up, which achieved significant success with the 2024 release of Stellar Blade, selling over 3 million copies and prompting work on a sequel. Shift Up is also developing Project Spirits, set to be published by Level Infinite.
Shift Up CEO Hyung-Tae Kim commented on the deal, stating, "I find it deeply meaningful to join forces with Unbound, which brings together a world-class development team led by CEO Shinji Mikami. 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 move comes amid a wave of success for Asian, particularly Korean, game development. For instance, Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert has become a global talking point, selling 4 million copies in just two weeks.
Kim was recently honored with the Presidential Commendation at last year's Korean Content Awards for his contributions to the industry through games like Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Stellar Blade. He acknowledged this recognition, saying, "This Presidential Citation is thanks to the developers and fans who believed in and supported Shift Up. We will continue to do our best to further promote the competitiveness of Korean games on the global stage."
While such prosperous outcomes are rare, Mikami and Shift Up are undoubtedly setting high expectations for this new collaboration. What are your hopes for their project? Should it revisit Mikami's horror origins or venture into something entirely new, like the innovative Hi-Fi Rush? Share your thoughts in the comments!
