Hideaki Itsuno, one of Capcom's most experienced and successful designers, has left the company after more than 30 years. Itsuno was a key decision maker Devil May Cry series and creator and director Dogma of the Dragon and its recent sequel, Dragon's Dogma 2; his departure leaves the future of both series in question, but especially Dragon's Dogma, a unique take on action RPGs that was crafted with Itsuno's distinct vision of the genre.
“I have an announcement for all my followers,” Itsuno said. posted in X“At the end of August 2024, I will be leaving Capcom after 30 years and 5 months. Thank you for your long-term 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 be developing a new game in a new medium. I hope to create fun, beautiful games that are as memorable, or even more memorable, than the ones I have created so far. Please keep an eye out for my next creation!”
Like many at Capcom, Itsuno was a fighting game enthusiast who gained experience in the genre before moving on to other styles of games; among other fighting games, he led the development of the iconic fighting games. Competing schools And Stone of PowerIn the early 2000s, he was parachuted in to save the development of a sequel to an action game that was failing. Devil May Cry 2with mixed results. But he will ultimately remain in charge. Devil May Cry 3, 4And 5all of which have been well received by fans, and are also following the development of Ninja Theory DmC: Devil May CryEssentially, Itsuno 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 opportunity to realize a long-time dream project that became the first Dogma of the Dragon. A combination of the freedom of Western role-playing games such as The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion with Capcom-style combat and a unique system of AI companions called pawns, Dogma of the Dragon The film initially caused confusion upon its release in 2012, but its reputation and fan base grew so much that a sequel was greenlit. Dragon's Dogma 2 released in 2024 to critical acclaim – and even more confusion from new players surprised by its non-interference in design.
The next steps of Itsuno, one of Capcom's most prominent creators in the modern era, will be watched with great interest.