Hideki Kamiya Is Leaving PlatinumGames

Bayonetta

Controversial video game director and vice president of PlatinumGames Hideki Kamiya has announced that he will be leaving the company, with an accompanying statement from the company confirming the departure. No reason has been given for the shock departure, but if you read between the lines a bit it does seem like there might be a bit of tension in the situation.

In a statement on Twitter, Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames said that Kamiya will be leaving the company effective October 12, 2023. The statement says that the company is grateful for Kamiya’s time at the company, and wishes him well in the future.

Hideki Kamiya is often credited as the creator of the Bayonetta series.

PlatinumGames

“We regret to announce that Hideki Kamiya will be leaving PlatinumGames on October 12, 2023,” the statement reads, “We are truly grateful for his creative ideas, leadership, and contribution to the growth of PlatinumGames from our start-up to this very day.”

It continues: “We believe that we will continue to succeed in his future endeavors 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 the best for the future.”

Kamiya’s own post on Twitter says that the decision wasn’t an easy one to make, but it does seem like it was Kamiya’s choice to leave, rather than a decision made by PlatinumGames.

“This came after a lot of consideration based on my own beliefs and was no means an easy decision to make,” Kamiya tweeted, “However, I feel like this outcome is for the best. I will continue to create in my Hideki Kamiya way. I hope you’ll keep your eyes peeled.”

Kamiya was one of the co-founders of PlatinumGames, alongside Shinji Mikami and Atsushi Inaba, and has been acting as its vice president since the company was founded. He was the primary creator behind the Bayonetta series, and worked on a number of other games – including The Wonderful 101 and Star Fox Zero – during his time with the company.

In recent years, Kamiya has acted in more of a supervisory role on games, like the recent Bayonetta 3 and its spinoff, Bayonetta Origins, while still contributing to the story. He’s become a bit of an internet sensation due to the controversial nature of his Twitter usage, where he frequently insults other users and blocks people for seemingly small reasons.

It’s not known what’s next for Kamiya, or how his departure from the company will affect future games like Project G.G. or any future Bayonetta games.