Hideaki Itsuno, one of Capcom’s most experienced and successful designers, has left the company after more than 30 years. Itsuno was a key steward of the Devil May Cry series and the creator and director of Dragon Dogma and its latest sequel, Dragon’s Dogma 2; his departure leaves a question mark over the future of both series, but especially Dragon’s Dogma, a unique take on action RPGs guided by Itsuno’s distinctive vision for the genre.
“I have an announcement for all my followers,” Itsuno posted to X“At the end of August 2024, I will be leaving Capcom after 30 years and 5 months. Thank you for your long-standing support of the games and characters I was responsible for. I hope you will continue to support Capcom’s games and characters.”
“Starting in September, I will start developing a new game in a new environment. I hope to create fun and beautiful games that are as or even more memorable than the ones I have developed so far. Stay tuned for my next creation!”
Like many at Capcom, Itsuno was a fighting game enthusiast who first dabbled in the genre before moving on to other styles of gameplay. He led the development of cult favorites, among other fighting games. Rival schools And Power Stone. In the early 2000s, he was parachuted in to save the development of the ailing sequel to the action game The devil can cry 2with mixed results. But he eventually stayed to direct The devil can cry 3, 4And 5which were all well received by fans, as well as the development of Ninja Theory’s DmC: The devil may cry. Itsuno essentially took the series created by Capcom legend Shinji Mikami and made it his own.
Between the fourth and fifth Devil May Cry games, Itsuno was given the chance to realize a long-cherished dream project that would become the first Dragon Dogma. Combining the freedom of western RPGs like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion with Capcom-style action battles and a unique system of AI companions, the so-called Pawns, Dragon Dogma When it was released in 2012, the film initially caused confusion, but its reputation and fan base grew so much that a sequel was given the green light. Dragon’s Dogma 2 was released in 2024 to critical acclaim – and caused even more confusion among new players who were surprised by the understated design philosophy.
Itsuno’s next step as one of Capcom’s most distinctive creators in modern times will be followed with great interest.
