Yoko Taro

You will never catch Yoko Taro on a red carpet without his giant, creepy round mask on. The eccentric gaming mastermind refuses to show his real face in public, turning every press tour into performance art. Behind the grinning prop is one of gaming's sharpest, most chaotic storytellers, famous for breaking the fourth wall and ripping out players' hearts for fun.

He slogged through the trenches on cult favourites like Drakengard and the original NieR before striking absolute gold. When NieR: Automata dropped in 2017, the gaming world lost its collective mind. Now he's a certified icon who writes stage plays, produces mobile hits, and still gives interviews while rolling around on hotel floors.