RPG veteran behind Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma wants his next game to combine “the best of everything he’s worked on,” but does not want it to be a Soulslike

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The director of Devil May Cry 5, Hideaki Itsuno, is working on a new game at his recently established studio. This upcoming title aspires to encapsulate all the work Itsuno has accomplished thus far, yet it won’t incorporate any aspects reminiscent of “Soulslike” games.

For fans of character action games, the past years have been especially tough. Exciting titles such as Stellar Blade and Black Myth: Wukong appear visually stunning, but their combat leans towards the challenging, soulslike style, lacking the fluid air combos often found in these types of games. Notably, apart from Bayonetta 3 (which fell short of expectations), the last substantial boost action games received was Devil May Cry 5 back in 2019.

Following the launch of one of my top picks for 2025, Dragon’s Dogma 2, its director Hideaki Itsuno (known for his work on Devil May Cry 2, 4, and 5) decided to part ways with Capcom to establish his own studio. Preliminary indications suggest that the inaugural project from Lightspeed Studio could offer a respite from the realm of soulslike games. Moreover, Itsuno announced that Bingo Morihashi (writer for Devil May Cry), Daigo Ikeno (art designer), and renowned Capcom artist Bengus have joined him at the new studio.

As a passionate game developer at Lightspeed Studios, I’ve been asked about the influx of soulslike games in the action genre by Video Game Chronicle. While I respect and admire these games, it’s important to understand that my goal isn’t to simply replicate them with higher production values. Instead, I joined this studio to innovate and craft an action game that offers a unique, fresh experience compared to what’s already out there. I hold the pioneers of the genre in high regard, but I won’t mimic their creations – my focus is on creating something new and exciting for gamers to enjoy.

It was inquired whether it might feel odd for Itsuno if Capcom were to develop another Devil May Cry game, considering that he feels he has already achieved the best he can with Devil May Cry 5 and competing against a brand-new game concept would be challenging.

Yet, he admits that following Devil May Cry 4 and the first Dragon’s Dogma, he believed it would be difficult to surpass what had been created. Consequently, he isn’t unduly worried about the possibility.

In an interview with Famitsu (translated via Automaton), Itsuno shared his vision for his new project at Lightspeed Studios: a game that combines the finest aspects of everything he has previously created. He drew inspiration from the combat mechanics of Rival Schools, the infinite skill potential of Devil May Cry, and the AI development of Dragon’s Dogma 2.

In his own words, “Given the legendary status of Dante, crafting a character of equal impact might prove challenging. However, I’m committed to devoting substantial time and energy towards character development in my future projects.

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2025-08-27 15:13