Ex-Capcom Director Hideaki Itsuno Says Next Game Will “Combine The Strengths” Of ‘Project Justice’, ‘Devil May Cry’ And ‘Dragon’s Dogma’
An admittedly lofty goal that stands to either blow-up in his face or produce one of the best games in recent generations, former Capcom directorial all-star Hideaki Itsuno says that the first of game set to be made by his new LightSpeed Japan development studio will be a “culmination” of his previous work on the Project Justice, Devil May Cry, and Dragon’s Dogma franchises.
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Itsuno, who left Capcom after 30 years this past August in order to head Tencent’s aforementioned Lightspeed Japan, provided this first update as to his next project during a recent interview given to Japanese video game news outlet Famitsu.
Opening with a reflection on his exit from Capcom, as machine translated by DeepL, the director explained:
“I’m getting to a certain age now, and retirement is in sight. While the genres differ, as long as [Studio Ghibli] Director Hayao Miyazaki—who is much older than me—remains active, I want to keep going myself and create new games. However, when I think about making new games, in the previous environment (at Capcom), it was naturally necessary to protect ongoing IPs like sequels and spin-offs.
In that kind of environment, challenging new things isn’t impossible, but it’s definitely not easy. It was during that time that I received several offers asking, ‘Would you consider creating an original IP for a new consumer game?’ As a result of various conditions aligning, I decided to create games in a new environment.”
Following various discussions on topics ranging from his relationship with Tencent to his current progress in filling out his team, to the specifics of its personnel – Not only does it include “many people from overseas”, but “about half of the staff” have previously worked at Capcom – Itsuno was asked point blank by his host as to “the question I’m most curious about: “What exactly is Itsuno-san creating?'”
“In the November 2024 [studio launch] announcement, it was stated that you’re “creating an original AAA action game targeting the global market. Is Lightspeed Japan the studio dedicated to that?”
In turn, Itsuno confirmed, “Yes. While it wasn’t explicitly specified as action, given my track record, I thought the company would feel more comfortable with action.”
“Many of the people I’ve worked with recently, and those who joined the studio because of my name, likely expect that too. So I made the action genre clear early on.
“I can’t go into specifics yet, but we’re aiming to create a culminating game that brings together the best elements of what I’ve made before. Specifically, this includes the versus fighting game Justice Academy (the sequel to Rival Schools, released in the West as Project Justice), the Devil May Cry series which I describe as ‘action with no apparent ceiling,’ and the AI-driven Dragon’s Dogma series.
“Of course, it won’t be a straight-up fighting game. Since I’ve already explored that element quite a bit in Devil May Cry, I mean it will likely naturally incorporate those aspects as I develop it.”
[In regards to his specific involvement in these titles, Itsuno explains earlier in the interview, “The only completely new titles I launched from scratch were Justice Academy and Dragon’s Dogma. For IPs other than these two, it was often the case that when a series director hadn’t been decided, I’d step in and say, ‘Alright, I’ll take it on.'”
Meanwhile, his other directorial credits include the last four mainline Devil May Cry games and the Power Stone duology.]
Asked if he could elaborate on his AI comment, Itsuno offered the brief note that “Lightspeed Japan as a whole is putting a lot of effort into AI, not just AI as an artificial intelligence, but also AI for work efficiency.”
From there pressed, “So does that mean the new title will incorporate fighting game elements like combos and diverse techniques within its action? Or perhaps the distinct personalities of characters whose intense image was strongly established in Devil May Cry?”, Itsuno asserted, “Both, actually.”
“Since I’ve made my living creating characters for so long, I plan to put a lot of effort into character design. I really think characters play a huge role in games.
“Also, I intend to keep the development period relatively short. ‘Compact’ might be a bit misleading, but for the first title, I want to avoid over-expanding and aim to complete it as quickly as possible.
Asked at the interview’s conclusion if he had anything he wanted to say to potential recruits and players, Itsuno declared:
“First, for everyone in the industry: Opportunities to create a new AAA title don’t come along often. Right now, you can join us and work together on this. If you’re interested in a new AAA global project, please get in touch.
For all the game fans out there: We’re developing a game we’re confident is truly fun, and we aim to deliver it to you in the not-too-distant future. We’d be thrilled if you could keep an eye out for it.”
