In a press release made on April 1st, 2026, SHIFT UP, the creators of Stellar Blade, announced they have acquired Unbound, a newly formed studio under the leadership of Shinji Mikami, the mastermind behind Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and The Evil Within. The studio also houses many veteran developers, both in and out of Japan, creating a juggernaut that attracts attention from the global gaming industry. Through this acquisition, SHIFT UP has successfully expanded its console and PC-based pipeline and has also integrated world-class development talent into its roster.

SHIFT UP also states in the press release that it will directly handle all of Unbound’s publishing for their upcoming titles and, over time, build its own global service capabilities. They also state that Unbound is currently developing original IPs for PC and console that will target the global market. Alongside the announcement, both CEOs of each respective studio released a statement about the acquisition. Hyung-Tae Kim, CEO of SHIFT UP, stated, “I find it deeply meaningful to join forces with UNBOUND, which brings together a world-class development team led by CEO Shinji Mikami,” also saying, “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.”

And Shinji Mikami, the CEO of Unbound, said this about the acquisition: “I am very pleased to be partnering with SHIFT UP CEO Hyung-Tae Kim and all the employees.” also stating, “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.”

SHIFT UP has been on the rise in the past couple of years, with its biggest title, Stellar Blade, releasing back in 2024. The studio has seen great success and even announced a sequel to the title, which has fans excited. And now with this announcement, the studio continues to go up, now having Shinji Mikami, the man behind many beloved titles such as Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. The future of both studios looks to be bright and has many excited for the new titles to come from this acquisition.