Post
The action-game director with a famously combative Twitter account and a track record of inventing new combat genres.
Joined Capcom in 1994 and directed Resident Evil 2 (1998), Devil May Cry (2001) — which essentially invented modern stylish action — Viewtiful Joe (2003), and Okami (2006) at Capcom's Clover Studio. After Clover's dissolution, he co-founded PlatinumGames in 2007 and directed Bayonetta (2009), The Wonderful 101, and Bayonetta sequels. In 2023 he left PlatinumGames and founded Clovers, Inc. — confirming he's developing a new game with Capcom (revealed in 2024 as Okami sequel). Famous on social media for blocking fans aggressively.
Example
Devil May Cry (2001) was originally being developed as Resident Evil 4 — Kamiya's combat-focused vision diverged so far from RE that Capcom spun it into a new IP, founding the modern character action genre in the process.
Why it matters
Kamiya is the most influential combat-focused director of his generation. His work directly defined the stylish-action subgenre that Bayonetta, DMC, Devil May Cry 5, and dozens of imitators continue to operate within.
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