Japanese game designer Hideaki Itsuno, known for his work on Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma, left Capcom after 30 years to head a new game studio at another large company.
Image source: Steam (Sunray)
As it turned out, Itsuno became the head of LightSpeed Japan Studio, a new Japanese division of the Chinese LightSpeed Studios (owned by Tencent Games) with offices in Tokyo and Osaka.
The developer called joining LightSpeed Studios an “exciting new chapter” in his life and an opportunity to create original AAA action games with an “amazing team.”
Itsuno will be joined at LightSpeed Japan Studio by a number of “experienced game developers”, but the studio is currently looking for specialists in various areas (engineers, designers, animators, etc.).
Image Source: LightSpeed Studios
According to LightSpeed Studios President Jerry Chen, the establishment of the Japanese branch will be an important step for the studio’s expansion and demonstrates its commitment to providing gamers with the “best possible games.”
In addition to the Japanese division, LightSpeed Studios includes an American division: California-based Lightspeed LA was founded in 2020 and is currently working on the futuristic action game Last Sentinel.
As for Itsuno, his work on games in the Devil May Cry series (starting with the third part) and the Dragon’s Dogma duology brought him fame at Capcom. Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma 2 will remain the specialist’s last projects at the company.