One of the bright spots of this year’s E3 — some would say even brighter than the surprise appearance of Keanu Reeves — was the a presentation by Ikumi Nakamura. The creative director, art director, and senior concept artist at Tango Gameworks (the developer behind The Evil Within) was on hand to promote her studio’s newest title, GhostWire: Tokyo. Today comes word that she’s now departing from the studio, with no clear indication of where she’ll end up next.
“After 9 years as Creative director & Art Director at Tango and Zenimax,” Nakamura wrote today on Twitter, “I felt here is one of ends of the journeys. [...] Contact me if anyone wants to work with me.”
Although she made a splash this year at the game industry’s biggest trade show, Nakamura has long been an industry veteran. She’s had a hand in games like Okami, Bayonetta, and Resident Evil 2. But it’s her affable on-stage presence and natural charisma that people will likely miss most in the short term.
After 9 years as Creative director & Art Director at Tango and Zenimax - I felt here is one of ends of the journeys . I learned from the talented people I've worked with and I respect. Contact me if anyone wants to work with me! → https://t.co/4VKLdY2ejl pic.twitter.com/Hbsuta3Rgo
— Ikumi Nakamura @TGS2019 (@nakamura193) September 4, 2019
It’s also unclear where that leaves the team at Tango working on GhostWire: Tokyo.
“We can confirm that Nakamura-san has decided to leave Tango and we wish her the best of luck in whatever is next for her,” Bethesda said in a statement provided to Polygon. “Tango continues to be led by the legendary Shinji Mikami and his talented team in the development of GhostWire: Tokyo. We look forward to sharing more on what they’re creating in the coming months.”
Described as an action-adventure game, not much is known outside an E3 trailer and an official description of the game. Founded in 2010 by former Capcom employee Shinji Mikami, the studio released The Evil Within in 2014 and The Evil Within 2 in 2017.