Resident Evil director's new AAA studio is "joining forces" with Stellar Blade developer Shift Up "to create a masterpiece of a game" – and no, this isn't an April Fool's joke

Nearly a month after announcing that it would be expanding its "self-publishing capabilities" and is "preparing for a new leap forward in the global market," Stellar Blade studio Shift Up has revealed it's "joining forces" with Unbound – and no, it's not an April Fool's prank.

For anyone out of the loop, Unbound was founded by Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami in 2022, with a new action RPG reportedly in the works from the young studio. Now, Mikami is teaming up with Stellar Blade developer Shift Up, with an exciting partnership announcement on YouTube outlining the situation.

"Shift Up and Unbound are joining forces," as he reveals, going on to praise the former dev for its titles – and founder Kim Hyung-tae.

"The best part is Kim-san at Shift up," says Mikami. "He's a creator too, working on-site and putting his all into making games. After speaking with him, we decided to aim for the same goals together. In other words, at Unbound, we're going to create a masterpiece of a game."

Kim echoes the Resident Evil veteran's words, stating that Shift Up is "happy to announce our partnership" with Unbound – and the future looks bright for both.

SHIFT UP x UNBOUND | Partnership Announcement ft. Shinji Mikami - YouTube

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"I'm eager to fully support creating a title that showcases the studio's unique charm, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it come to life," as Kim describes.

"I've come to see my vision and ideals more clearly, and I don't think I've ever been in a situation where, as a creator, our wavelengths and direction align this closely. So, for as long as my career continues, I would really like to keep working together."

That's… a pretty big statement, all things considered. And, as Kim goes on to say, "For the first time in a while, I'll be fully involved on-site to work on a fairly large game, and I'm really looking forward to it. To all the gamers waiting for this, I hope you can wait just a little longer for its release."

What could this mysterious game be? Perhaps the action RPG that Unbound was previously said to be working on?

Only time will tell, I suppose. This is by no means a small announcement, though, and fans know it, too. Comments show folks writing how they're "really looking forward to" what the two studios will create together – and honestly, so am I.

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