Bethesda Softworks announced today in an email to employees that Shinji Mikami, the legendary author of Resident Evil and The Evil Within, has stepped down from Tango Gameworks, the studio he founded 12 years ago and recently produced the acclaimed Hi-Fi RUSH.

Bethesda Vice President Todd Vaughn told employees that management will work with Tango Gameworks to identify a replacement and set the direction of the studio, reiterating that Hi-Fi Rush has proved to be one of the biggest successes of recent years for Bethesda and Xbox.

It must be said, however, that the last game in which Mikami had been directly involved with a direction and design role was The Evil Within 2, while in the case of Ghostwire Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush, he had only played a role of supervision and support to the production.

The reasons for Mikami's abandonment are not known for now; we just have to wait to know what future awaits both him and the Japanese studio now within Microsoft!