Bayonetta Director Leaves PlatinumGames for PlayStation

The development studio PlatinumGames has seen a number of key figures depart recently, including Hideki Kamiya.

In a recent update, the director of Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, Abebe Tinari, has also left the studio. He has joined PlayStation’s Housemarque (Returnal) as a lead game designer, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Tinari spent over a decade at PlatinumGames and contributed to titles such as Star Fox Guard and Bayonetta 2 for the Wii U.

His departure follows an earlier incident where Tinari removed mentions of PlatinumGames from his social media accounts. In a message, he addressed speculations about other directors leaving the studio and highlighted the collaborative nature of game development.

“There are many talented Artists, Designers, Programmers, and Musicians still at PlatinumGames. I suggest you do not count them out yet. I can’t wait to see what they do next!”

Bayonetta Origins was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in 2023 and serves as a prequel to the main trilogy in the series.

Additionally, PlatinumGames has announced a year-long event dedicated to the original Bayonetta to mark its 15th anniversary. Hideki Kamiya, the creator of Bayonetta, left the studio last year to work on a new Okami game in collaboration with Capcom.