On September 2, 2026, Shinji Mikami, the father of the Resident Evil series, posted on social media that his studio, UNBOUND, is actively hiring narrative writers, including a link to the official careers page. This move is seen as a significant step in expanding the core creative team following UNBOUND's acquisition by Korean developer SHIFT UP.
UNBOUND was established in November 2022 and officially launched operations in May 2023. Led by Shinji Mikami as Representative Director, the studio is headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Currently comprising around 50 employees, the team aims to expand to approximately 100–150 members, dedicated to developing original high-quality consumer games for PS5, Xbox, and PC platforms. Team members have previously worked on renowned titles such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Shadow of the Colossus, Okami, and Hi-Fi Rush.
On April 1, 2026, Korean developer SHIFT UP (creator of Stellar Blade and Goddess of Victory: Nikke) officially completed its full acquisition of UNBOUND. SHIFT UP will handle global publishing for the studio’s future titles and gradually build independent service capabilities. Shinji Mikami stated that he shares a strong alignment in creative philosophy with SHIFT UP CEO Hyung-Tae Kim, and is personally involved in the on-site production of a "quite large-scale" game, aiming to create a "masterpiece.".
According to previous reports, the studio is advancing an original AAA project developed with Unreal Engine 5, aiming for AAA quality with a relatively manageable scope, while also planning to develop small and medium-sized experimental titles in parallel.
The official careers page currently lists multiple development-related positions. Shinji Mikami’s recent post specifically highlighting the narrative writer role indicates that storytelling remains a key focus area for the team.