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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Hideaki Itsuno left Capcom at the end of August 2024 after 30 years and five months. He said he wanted to develop a new game in a new environment; in a 2025 interview, he explained that he wanted to use what he saw as his last major career opportunity to lead an original AAA project rather than spend another long development cycle on sequels.
Why did Hideaki Itsuno leave Capcom?
Itsuno announced his departure himself on August 31, 2024. In a statement reproduced by Gematsu, he said he would leave at the end of August, thanked fans for supporting the games and characters he had worked on, and said he would begin developing a new game from September.
He gave more context in an interview published by Video Games Chronicle on August 26, 2025. Itsuno said that, given his age and the four or five years a game can take to make, he saw the opportunity to lead a new AAA game as his last chance to take on that kind of project. He said Lightspeed had asked him to create one, and that he wanted to pursue the challenge while he still had time for another long development cycle.
Itsuno said he had completed the work he wanted to do with Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma 2. He did not describe his decision as a rejection of either franchise: he said Capcom’s priority would be sequels to those series, while he wanted to make something new. He also said he discussed leaving while working on Dragon’s Dogma 2, but chose to finish the game and remaining post-release work first. The available account does not establish that Capcom forced him out.
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#1 Best Overall
- Experience your Favorite MARVEL vs. CAPCOM classics All in One – Enjoy 7 of your favorite classic titles that helped shaped the MARVEL vs. CAPCOM universe both single player and online.
- Enjoy Enhanced Features Added to the Classic Collection – To enhance your playability experience, we incorporated the favorite added features from Capcom Fighting Collection including gallery mode, quick save, training mode for all fighting titles, and the high score challenge. Beginners and first timers into the franchise are also welcome to play through adjusted settings and execution of one-button specials!
- Play with Friends Worldwide through Online Compatibility – This collection also includes rollback net code for a smooth and enjoyable experience online. Play casually or competitively through casual, ranked, or custom matches using rules of your choosing!
What games did Itsuno direct at Capcom?
Itsuno joined Capcom in 1994. His directing career ranged across fighting games and action games, not just the two franchises most often associated with his name. Selected credits listed in departure coverage include:
- Fighting games: Star Gladiator, Rival Schools: United by Fate, Power Stone, Power Stone 2, Project Justice and Capcom vs. SNK 2.
- Action games: Devil May Cry 3, Devil May Cry 4 and Devil May Cry 5.
- Fantasy action RPGs: Dragon’s Dogma and Dragon’s Dogma 2.
The list is selective rather than a complete accounting of his work; departure coverage also names projects such as Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, One Piece Mansion and Auto Modellista. VGC’s departure report and Gematsu’s coverage provide further credit details.
Rank #2
What is Itsuno doing after Capcom?
In the August 2025 interview, Itsuno was leading Lightspeed Studios Japan, a Tencent-owned studio operation, and working on an original AAA action game with a new team. He described the project as an attempt to build original AAA intellectual property from scratch, saying, “Very few studios in Japan are taking on the challenge of building original AAA IP from scratch. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
He characterized its intended “Japanese-style” action through animation, character design, creativity, a high skill ceiling and variety of action. He explicitly said that description did not mean the game would be samurai-themed. The interview did not give the game a public title or release date, and those details should not be inferred from the description.
Rank #3
- Experience your Favorite MARVEL vs. CAPCOM classics All in One – Enjoy 7 of your favorite classic titles that helped shaped the MARVEL vs. CAPCOM universe both single player and online.
- To enhance your playability experience, we incorporated the favorite added features from Capcom Fighting Collection including gallery mode, quick save, training mode for all fighting titles, and the high score challenge.
- This collection also includes rollback net code for a smooth and enjoyable experience online. Play casually or competitively through casual, ranked, or custom matches using rules of your choosing!
How does Dragon’s Dogma 2 fit into the story?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 was the latest of Itsuno’s two major series projects at Capcom, and he said he finished its release and remaining post-release work before leaving. Capcom describes the game as an action RPG and lists its platforms as PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC in its November 29, 2023 release announcement. Itsuno’s departure is also a moment to recognize his work on the original Dragon’s Dogma, not only the sequel.
Capcom reported more than 7.9 million cumulative units sold across the Dragon’s Dogma series as of September 30, 2023. That is a dated series-wide total, not sales for Dragon’s Dogma 2 alone.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Officially Licensed: This is an officially licensed CAPCOM title, ensuring an authentic gaming experience.
- Portable Gameplay: Powered by 4 AA batteries (not included) or by a USB-C cable (not included)
- 🎮 Expansive Game Collection: Includes six beloved Mega Man titles - Mega Man, Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3, Mega Man 4, Mega Man 5, and Mega Man 6
- 🎯 Absorb Enemy Powers: Mega Man's unique ability to absorb the powers of defeated enemies adds depth and strategy to gameplay.
- Headphone Jack: 3.5mm headphone jack lets you enjoy Mega man on the go on your own privately.
Rank #4
- 🎮This is an officially licensed CAPCOM title, ensuring an authentic gaming experience. 2 Games in 1, Includes Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers & Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
- Iconic Fighting Game: Super Street Fighter II The New Challengers is the ultimate fighting game experience with iconic characters.
- New Content: Featuring four new characters, four new stages, and enhanced gameplay with new moves and combos.
- 🎯 Enhanced Gameplay: Experience the definitive version of Street Fighter II with improved mechanics and combos.
- Portable Game: Powered by 4 AA (non-rechargeable) batteries (not included) or by a USB-C cable (not included).
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