Hideki Kamiya video reveals five more leads have quit Platinum, including Bayonetta 3’s director

Former PlatinumGames vice president, Hideki Kamiya has revealed that at least five other game directors have recently left the Bayonetta studio.

Speculation has swirled in recent weeks about the future of PlatinumGames’ staff, after Kamiya announced a new studio backed by Capcom, which is partly made up of former Platinum developers.

This was followed by recent speculation that many of Platinum’s other lead creators could have followed Kamiya out of the company, after they removed references to Platinum from their social media profiles.

On Tuesday, Kamiya seemingly confirmed several high-profile Platinum exits with a ‘bonus’ segment on his latest YouTube video, which features (in his words) footage of a “former PlatinumGames directors’ drinking party”.

In addition to Kamiya, the party was attended by Bayonetta Origins director Abebe Tinari, Bayonetta 3 director Yusuke Miyata, Astral Chain director Takahisa Taura, Metal Gear Rising director Kenji Saito, and Anarchy Reigns and Resident Evil character designer Masaki Yamanaka.

Other than Tinari, who previously confirmed his departure from Platinum last month, this would mark the first confirmation that the studio has lost Taura, Saito, Miyata, and Yamanaka from its ranks, all of whom recently worked on Platinum projects such as Bayonetta 3 or Bayonetta Origins.

“Games are made by people,” Kamiya says in the video. “Wherever they go from here, they’ll create things that only they can… please look forward to their work!”

It’s not clear where the directors have gone next, or if they will be joining Kamiya at his new studio. But a social media update from Taura suggested the Astral Chain designer could be founding his own studio.

VGC has asked Platinum for comment on this story.

Platinum has remained relatively quiet since Kamiya announced his exit in October 2023, declining interviews and rarely speaking about its future plans.

Last month, Platinum broke its silence with a statement about its future, which was followed by the announcement of a new Ninja Gaiden game, which it’s building in collaboration with Koei Tecmo and Microsoft.

Speaking to VGC in a December interview discussing his new studio, Clovers, Hideki Kamiya explained the reason for his decision to quit Platinum.

“If I was satisfied at Platinum, then I wouldn’t have left,” he said. “There’s a way I believe games should be made: a philosophy, a mindset of how games should be made. Koyama approached me, and we shared the same mindset and philosophy about game development.”

Kamiya told VGC that most of Clovers’ staff so far followed him from Platinum, including co-founder and Project GG designer Kento Koyama.

Although Clovers hasn’t named specific people, some notable faces appear in its team photo, such as cinematic director Kunihiko Tsuda, who worked on the cut-scenes for the original Okami, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, Astral Chain, and more.

Metal Gear Rising’s lead animator, Hirokazu Takeuchi, is also there, alongside Bayonetta series animator Rei Yamamoto. Clovers told VGC Takeuchi is currently not working with the new company, though he has left Platinum.