Hideaki Itsuno's departure from Capcom after 30 years at the top was marked by the release of Dragon's Dogma 2.

Hideaki Itsuno, a Capcom veteran of over 30 years, has announced his departure after serving as a senior member in the company's development staff. Itsuno's most notable work is his Devil May Cry series. The series was created by Hideki kamiya, but reached its peak when Itsuno directed Devil May Cry 3. He also worked on Dragon's Dogma which was his dream game.

Itsuno announced on social media that he would be leaving Capcom at the end of August, 2024. He had been with the company for 30 years and five months. "Thank you for supporting the games and characters that I have been responsible. I hope you continue to support Capcom games and characters."

Itsuno continues to say that he is not finished with games, but will be doing his own thing. "From September onwards, I will be developing a brand new game in a completely new environment. I hope to create beautiful, fun games that are just as memorable, or even better than the ones I've created so far.

Itsuno is certainly responsible for some memorable games. He joined Capcom as a fighting game enthusiast (and also because it was an easy commute to the office) and his star quickly rose: The first glimpse of Itsuno’s talents came in 1995’s excellent Street Fighter Alpha which he codirected. Itsuno played a major role in Capcom's Fighting Games over the next decade. He directed and co-directed entries in the Rival School, Capcom Vs SNK and Darkstalkers series.

Itsuno's only misstep was when he was given the task of salvaging Devil May Cry 2, a game that was a complete mess. Itsuno was brought in to salvage a project which was a complete mess. The sequel was poorly handled and had very few original developers working on it. Itsuno was not happy with the assignment, but he pushed the team to the limit and asked for every favour he could get from the company in order to finish the game.

Itsuno recalled the final days of DMC 2 development in 2013's Devil May Cry Graphic Arts. "I joined the team near the end as the deadline approached, and I'm not exaggerating to say that all the staff members were mobilized. They recruited me, a non-team member. [...] The DMC 2 team just pulled out all the members of other teams who were busy working on their projects.

Itsuno was credited as DMC2 director. His dissatisfaction led him to request that he lead development of Devil May Cry 3 right from the beginning. The result was one the best hack-andslash games, a fluid 3D fighter that had a complex and extensive combat system. It rewarded players for experimenting. It also made Dante cool after the emo catastrophe of DMC2, but it's a by-the-by.

Itsuno went on to direct DMC4 & DMC5, and oversee Ninja Theory's unfairly maligned DmC. Itsuno was given the opportunity to develop a medieval fantasy game with a Greco-Roman style and bestiary after DMC4. Dragon's Dogma was a game that pioneered the pawn system, but was also a rich RPG world with Capcom-quality combat.

Itsuno was one of the developers who made Capcom's action and fighting games the gold standard. He also worked on many other games, including some of the best in their genre. Dragon's Dogma 2 released in March of this year. Itsuno's last game at Capcom. As our review said, "this is a title that will be talked for a very long time." It's unclear what Itsuno will do next, but one thing is certain: it won't be dull.