Former Resident Evil developers reveal new studio, teasing PC and Nintendo Switch release of their debut game, which couldn't look less like Resident Evil if it tried

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Birdkin Studio is "currently working" on its first project

Resident Evil screenshot showing a stern bearded man pointing his gun straight ahead, a young woman in gear standing bheind him
(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom veterans Hideaki Utsumi and Saori Utsumi are best known for their work on the Resident Evil series' soundtracks - but they've now founded their own small studio and are heading a new project together.

The composer couple announced new company Birdkin Studio in a recent post, describing it as "small" with only Hideaki and Saori heading development. "We have formed a new game development studio," write the Utsumis. "This game development studio is a small studio, just Hideaki Utsumi and Saori Utsumi. Hideaki Utsumi and Saori Utsumi both originally worked for the video game company Capcom."

A follow-up message with an attached image comes later, teasing Birdkin's debut game. "We are currently working on releasing the game on Nintendo Switch and Steam," it reads. The photo accompanying the post shows a vibrant pixel art scene with a blue bird in mid-air, a small character with white hair wielding what looks to be a golden oil lamp reminiscent of Genie's in Aladdin, and a large red heart.

There's no way of telling what the art is from yet - whether it's a scene from the studio's game as implied or not remains uncertain. As Birdkin hasn't detailed any of its mysterious project's content or features, only one thing is certain - the two platforms that the title will launch on, Steam on PC and the Nintendo Switch. This hasn't stopped excited fans from speculating about the game online, however.

Comments range from congratulations to the Utsumis for founding Birdkin to questions about the company's upcoming game. "Will it be a game about Gumi," asks a fan, referring to the developers' beloved pet chattering lory. "Will red birb be making an appearance in your guys' games," enquires another. Regardless of what Birdkin Studio has in store, though, I think it's safe to say that it'll be very different than Resident Evil.

Check out some of these other upcoming new games for even more to look forward to.

Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.