Hideaki Itsuno Explains Why He Left CAPCOM to Pursue New Projects

In a recent revelation, Hideaki Itsuno, the acclaimed game designer, shared the real reason behind his departure from CAPCOM.

After years of shaping iconic games like Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma, Itsuno decided to leave the renowned studio to pursue fresh challenges before retiring.

Through an exclusive interview with VideoGamesChronicle, Itsuno explained that his main reason for leaving was the looming prospect of being tasked with creating more sequels to these beloved franchises. While the developer had no qualms about returning to the Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma universes, he felt the need to explore new horizons and push his creative boundaries. ‘For me, based on my age, this is my last chance,’ Itsuno said. ‘The gaming industry has decreased the number of AAA releases, and I was asked to create a new AAA by Lightspeed. I’m not young anymore, so more than ‘now it’s the right moment,’ it’s more like, ‘this is my last chance’ to challenge myself.’

Itsuno emphasized that, for CAPCOM, producing sequels to games like Devil May Cry 6 or Dragon’s Dogma 3 would always be a priority. However, given the long development cycles of AAA titles, which typically take around 4 to 5 years, Itsuno realized that he might be running out of time to create something new. He elaborated, ‘Before you realize you are working on making Devil May Cry 6 or 7, I’ve already made the games I wanted to make.’ While he is certainly passionate about these franchises, Itsuno pointed out that balancing the lengthy development time with his personal satisfaction became increasingly difficult.

This is not an uncommon sentiment among veteran developers who are starting to seek out new challenges outside of their long-established studios. Itsuno mentioned that after the success of Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma 2, he felt that he had accomplished everything he wanted within those franchises. In fact, his creative juices were more recently stirred by titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which shifted his perspective on game design.

Itsuno’s decision to leave CAPCOM and join Lightspeed Japan Studio marks a new chapter in his career, as he moves towards creating entirely new experiences for gamers. It’s clear that, for him, innovation and fresh challenges are now his primary focus.