Tango Gameworks is already developing its next game after Ghostwire: Tokyo

As fans continue to await the release of Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire: Tokyo, studio founder Shinji Mikami has revealed that another new title is already in the works, and that it is being led by the director of Evil Within 2.

Mikami appeared in a video with Xbox Director Phil Spencer as part of Microsoft’s live streaming event on the first day of Tokyo Game Show and hinted at a new title, saying that John Johanas, the director of The Evil Within 2 , is working on it.

Mikami mentioned Johanas when Spencer urged her to talk about the Tango Gameworks philosophy of nurturing new young talent: “Right now, John is working energetically on a new game,” Mikami told Spencer.

Mikami gave no further clues as to what kind of game Johanas might be working on. Due to Microsoft’s purchase of Bethesda Softworks’ parent company ZeniMax Media and its studios last year, it’s likely that whatever title Johanas is hard at work on is being developed with Xbox platforms in mind.

Johanas has been with Tango Gameworks since August 2010 and was the visual effects designer for the 2014 survival horror title The Evil Within. Johanas served as the director of the game’s two DLC offerings.

He then took the torch from Mikami and directed The Evil Within 2. Taking both the pressure of building on the franchise and taking the reins of a survival horror legend in Mikami, Johanas helped deliver an experience that garnered mostly positive responses from critics. and players when it was released in 2017.

Mikami has mentioned in past interviews that part of the reason he chose Johanas to direct The Evil Within 2 was because the veteran game designer sees Tango Gameworks as a place to nurture talent and give young creatives the opportunity to spread your wings and succeed.

Mikami has had a long career in the business and has been paying it back by providing opportunities for young talents like Johanas and giving them the space and freedom to create and come up with new ideas.

Spencer also alluded to that during her TGS chat: “One of the things that you and I have talked about is the importance of young people in our industry, bringing new voices to our creative teams and listening to a new generation of creators.” . Spencer said.

Rather than making young creatives wait their turn, Mikami gives some of them a chance and the space to create by providing opportunities sooner rather than later. He mentioned that philosophy again during his talk with Spencer during the TGS presentation: “As a studio trying to give young people great opportunities, we are always taking on the challenge of creating new games.”

Spencer asked Mikami about young talent within her studio and in addition to highlighting Johanas, Mikami also mentioned Kenji Kimura, the director of the upcoming GhostWire: Tokyo. “He is a young creator who is working hard and doing his best as a director,” said Mikami. “He really has a lot of skill.”

Ikumi Nakamura is another example. Nakamura joined Mikami at Tango Gameworks in 2010 and worked on both The Evil Within and its sequel. His spirited presentation at E3 2019 as part of the Ghostwire: Tokyo team went viral on social media. Nakamura has since left the company and runs his own independent studio.

While Johanas’ project will likely remain under wraps for a while, Ghostwire: Tokyo, which Kimura is in command, experienced a delay and is scheduled to be released for PlayStation 5, where it will be a limited console exclusive, and PC. in 2022.

Jason Coskrey is a writer living in Tokyo. Find him on Twitter at @JCoskrey.