Hideki Kamiya Makes a Triumphant Return to Capcom to Work on Much-Awaited Okami Sequel

Hideki Kamiya has rejoined Capcom as the leader of a new studio, Clovers.

The veteran developer has assumed the role of studio head and lead game designer, directing efforts on the company’s first project: a sequel to the 2006 cult classic Okami, for which Kamiya was the game director.

The studio made its debut announcement as the Okami sequel was unveiled during last night’s The Game Awards. Other members of the original development team are also involved.

According to the game’s website, Clovers is collaborating with two different studios on the project: M-Two, known for its work on Okami HD and the remakes of Resident Evil 3 and 4, and Machine Head Works, which seems to be a new studio as its website just went live two days ago.

The declaration of Clovers indicates that while the studio may have teams in Osaka and Tokyo, it will consist of “a core group of specialists who create and develop the ‘core’ of games” – thus the need for co-development partners.

The inspiration behind the name for Kamiya’s new studio is clear; the original developer of Okami was the Capcom-owned Clover Studio, which also created God Hand and the Viewtiful Joe series.

Kamiya joined Clover in 2004, but it was shut down at the end of 2006 – just six months after Okami was released.

After that, Kamiya and fellow Clover founders Atsushi Inaba and Shinji Mikami established PlatinumGames alongside Tatsuya Minami. The Okami director spent 17 years there, before announcing his exit in September 2023.

“For various reasons, I left a large organization and became independent, and for a period, I sought a place where I could engage in game development aligned with my creative values,” Kamiya expressed on the studio’s website. “Thanks to the support of encouraging friends…