Capcom legend behind Dragon’s Dogma leaves after 30 years
Hideaki Itsuno, one of Capcom’s most experienced and successful designers, has left the company after more than 30 years. Itsuno was a key steward of the Devil May Cry series and the creator and director of The Dogma of the Dragon and the recent sequel, Dragon Dogma 2; his departure leaves a question mark over the future of both series, but especially Dragon’s Dogma, a unique take on action role-playing games guided by Itsuno’s signature vision for the genre.
“I have an announcement for all my followers,” Itsuno says posted to X. “At the end of August 2024, I will be leaving Capcom after 30 years and 5 months. Thank you for your continued support of the games and characters I have been 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 environment. I hope to create fun, beautiful games that are just as memorable as, or even more memorable than, the games I have made so far. Stay tuned for my next creation!”
Like many at Capcom, Itsuno was a fighting game enthusiast who cut his teeth on the genre before moving on to other styles of games; in addition to other fighting games, he led development on cult favorites Rival schools And Power stoneIn the early 2000s, he was parachuted in to save development on the struggling action film sequel Devil May Cry 2with mixed results. But he would eventually stay on to direct Devil may cry 3, 4And 5all of which were well received by fans, and who oversee Ninja Theory’s development DmC: Devils May CryItsuno essentially took the series created by Capcom legend Shinji Mikami and turned it into his own series.
Between the fourth and fifth Devil May Cry games, Itsuno had the chance to realize a long-cherished dream, which became the first The Dogma of the Dragon. Combining the freedom of Western RPGs such as The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion featuring Capcom-style action combat and a unique system of AI companions called pawns, The Dogma of the Dragon Upon its release in 2012, there was initial confusion, but its reputation and following grew to the point that a sequel was greenlit. Dragon Dogma 2 launched in 2024 to critical acclaim, but also caused further confusion among new players who were surprised by the hands-off design mentality.
Itsuno is one of the most notable creators of the modern era and we will be following his next move with great interest.