Shift Up, the prominent South Korean developer led by Hyung-Tae Kim, has officially announced the full acquisition of UNBOUND Inc., the Tokyo-based studio founded by legendary game director Shinji Mikami.
The move sees Shift Up acquiring 100% of UNBOUND’s shares, integrating a powerhouse of Japanese development talent into its growing international portfolio.
Shift Up has confirmed it will directly handle the publishing for UNBOUND’s upcoming titles, moving away from reliance on third-party publishing partners for its future pipeline.
Shinji Mikami, renowned for creating the Resident Evil series and founding Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Hi-Fi RUSH), established UNBOUND as an independent venture in late 2022. The studio is currently composed of a “veteran team” of developers with deep experience in the Japanese and international gaming markets.
Currently, UNBOUND is working on a new, original AAA IP targeting PC and console platforms.
“I find it deeply meaningful to join forces with UNBOUND, which brings together a world-class development team led by CEO Shinji Mikami. This acquisition will serve as an opportunity to deliver the best gaming experience to users worldwide and further solidify Shift Up’s global development competitiveness.”
Hyung-Tae Kim, CEO of Shift Up
“I sense strong synergy with CEO Kim, who is also an active creator, and I believe this is an ideal partnership that allows us to focus on creativity. We will do our best to create fun games so that both companies, working as one, can meet our fans’ expectations.”
Shinji Mikami, CEO of UNBOUND
Alongside the announcement, Shift Up released a branding video on its official YouTube channel featuring both CEOs discussing their shared philosophy.
