After 30 years and five months, Japanese game designer Hideaki Itsuno, best known for his work on Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma, will leave Capcom. He reported this on his personal microblog.
Image Source: Steam (Zer0)
In the post, Itsuno thanked players for supporting the games and characters the developer was responsible for, and encouraged fans to continue supporting Capcom.
Itsuno also hinted at what he would do: “Starting in September, I will begin developing a new game in a new setting. I hope to create fun and beautiful games that are just as or more memorable than the ones I’ve already made.”
Apparently, after leaving Capcom, Itsuno got a job at another studio or founded a new one. The designer did not specify what project and company he was talking about, but advised to follow the news about his “next creation.”
Image source: Capcom
Capcom hired Itsuno in 1994. His first projects as head of production were the fighting games Star Gladiator (1996) and Rival Schools: United by Fate (1997).
Itsuno’s greatest fame at Capcom came from her work on the games in the Devil May Cry series (starting with the third part) and the Dragon’s Dogma duology. The designer is considered the creator of Dragon’s Dogma.
Itsuno’s last projects at Capcom will be the slasher Devil May Cry 5 (2019) and the fantasy open-world action RPG Dragon’s Dogma 2, released in March 2024 and selling over 3 million copies.