Hideaki Itsuno already began working on his next project – What can we expect?

Hideaki Itsuno needs no introduction, as he’s the creator of the Dragon’s Dogma franchise and the director of Devil May Cry 3, 4 and 5. In 2024, he announced his departure from Capcom and his new position as head of LightSpeed Japan Studio, where work on his next project had already begun.

Itsuno recently shared the news on his personal Twitter/X account: Development of his next project already started, and he and his team at LightSpeed Japan Studio will reveal what exactly it is “as soon as possible”. What’s especially interesting about this announcement is that they’re still looking for new people to join the team, so those interested in working alongside this legendary developer can apply at LightSpeed Japan Studio’s official recruitment page.

While we still know nothing about this upcoming project, Itsuno did already give us a hint of what to expect when he joined the studio back in November: “I’m confident we’ll create original AAA action game titles alongside our amazing team, delivering aesthetic and innovative experiences to players worldwide.”, he stated on his original Instagram announcement. This means that it is extremely likely that he won’t deviate too much from his usual projects and style, so we can expect a new, high-octane action game similar to his previous works (like Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma)

What is Hideaki Itsuno working on right now?

Hideaki Itsuno’s announcement caused rampant speculation among fans of his work. Needless to say, this project will have absolutely no relation to any of his signature franchises since the Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma IPs belong to Capcom, and it’s extremely unlikely that LightSpeed would have made some sort of contract or arrangement with said company in order to develop a new entry together. Itsuno left Capcom in order to start fresh in a “new environment” so this project will definitely mark the beginning of a new IP.

Some fans responded to Itsuno’s message with their wishes, with some of them asking if he’s working on a new high-quality action game (And hoping he will be able to get Takahisa Taura, the director of Astral Chain, on board), while others are hoping for a spiritual successor to fighting games like Rival Schools or Power Stone.

While everybody knows Itsuno for his impact on the hack-and-slash franchise due to Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma, it’s important to remember that he got his start at Capcom by working on arcade fighting games, not to mention that Power Stone was the first video game he ever directed. So there’s always a chance that he might want to return to the genre that started it all.