PlatinumGames continues to see significant talent departures as Takahisa Taura, known for his work as the lead designer on NieR: Automata, has officially left the acclaimed Japanese studio to establish his own company named Eel Game Studio. According to the latest issue of Famitsu magazine, Taura has confirmed his departure from PlatinumGames and announced the formation of Eel Game Studio. At this time, he was unable to share additional details about his new venture.

NieR: Automata Game Deigner and Astral Chain Director Takahisa Taura, has confirmed that he has left Platinum Games and has started his own studio called ‘Eel Game Studio’! via @famitsu

He says he is one of the founding members and can’t say much else at the moment. pic.twitter.com/FXZJhx1wgi

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) April 30, 2025

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Industry observers had anticipated this move after Taura removed references to PlatinumGames from his X (formerly Twitter) profile last year and updated his workplace information on social media.

This departure follows a pattern of high-profile exits from PlatinumGames, most notably that of creative director Hideki Kamiya, who announced his own Capcom-backed studio last October. In a recent video, Kamiya alluded to other key staff departures, including Bayonetta 3 director Yusuke Miyata, Metal Gear Rising director Kenji Saito, and character designer Masaki Yamanaka, known for his work on Anarchy Reigns and Resident Evil.

“Games are made by people,” Kamiya stated in his video message. “Wherever they go from here, they’ll create things that only they can… please look forward to their work!”

The studio has maintained a relatively low profile since Kamiya’s exit, though it broke its silence in January with a statement about future plans, followed by the announcement of a new Ninja Gaiden title being developed in partnership with Koei Tecmo and Microsoft.