Shift Up (462870.KS), the Korean game developer, announced on July 1 that it has completed the acquisition of Unbowed, a Japanese game studio founded by legendary developer Shinji Mikami, known as the father of Resident Evil, by acquiring 100% of the company's shares.
Unbowed is a PC and console game development studio staffed by veteran developers, led by director Shinji Mikami, who created the Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and Psycho Break (known as The Evil Within in the West) series at major Japanese publisher Capcom. The studio is currently developing original intellectual properties for PC and console platforms targeting the global market.
Shift Up said the acquisition has allowed it to internalize world-class development talent and successfully expand its PC and console game pipeline. The company also plans to directly handle publishing for Unbowed's upcoming titles and progressively build out its own global service capabilities.
"We consider it deeply meaningful to join forces with Unbowed, home to a world-class development team led by CEO Shinji Mikami," Shift Up CEO Kim Hyung-tae said. "This acquisition will serve as an opportunity to deliver the best gaming experiences to players worldwide and further solidify Shift Up's global development competitiveness."
Unbowed CEO Shinji Mikami said, "I am very pleased to be working with CEO Kim and the entire Shift Up team. I feel a 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. With both companies united in purpose, we will do our best to create fun games that live up to everyone's expectations."
Shift Up also released a branding video on its official YouTube channel for a global audience, featuring Mikami's development philosophy and Kim's vision for collaboration.