Recent reports confirmed that Hideaki Itsuno has brought multiple ex-CAPCOM team members to his LightSpeed Japan Studio, with plans to expand operations by establishing an additional branch in Osaka alongside their Tokyo headquarters.

In a discussion with VideoGamesChronicle, Itsuno detailed his decision to depart from CAPCOM last year. His exit stemmed from CAPCOM’s focus on continuing existing franchises, whereas he sought creative freedom to develop original projects before concluding his career.

Given my age, this represents my final opportunity. The AAA gaming landscape has shrunk, and Lightspeed invited me to spearhead a fresh AAA project. Prioritizing sequels like Devil May Cry or Dragon’s Dogma would dominate my remaining years in this field. Development cycles now span half a decade—this is likely my final major endeavor.

Before you know it, you’re developing Devil May Cry 6 or 7. While I’m not opposed to those titles, it’s challenging to reconcile the time required with my desire for innovation. Both DMC5 and Dragon’s Dogma 2 fulfilled my creative goals for those series.

This perspective is entirely reasonable. Itsuno joins a growing list of seasoned developers pivoting from established studios to pursue independent ventures.

Elsewhere, he affirmed pride in Dragon’s Dogma 2’s execution (though I personally found the title divisive) and noted newer influences such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle shaping his post-DMC5 creative direction.