During GDC 2025, LightSpeed Studios has announced that it is working on a new action game being helmed by Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma 2 director Hideaki Itsuno. The game is part of LightSpeed Studios’ larger initiative to develop new franchises, dubbed the “Original IP Initiative”. As part of the move, Itsuno will work with LightSpeed Japan Studio to develop a AAA action game.
No details about the new game, including its name, have been revealed so far. Itsuno has, however, described the game as one that will make players say “I’ve never seen that in a game before.” The title is slated to feature new experiences that will make use of cutting-edge technology.
“We’re building a creative environment that combines diverse cultural perspectives with cutting-edge technology,” said Itsuno in a statement. “Our focus is on developing gameplay elements that offer players entirely new experiences – the kind of innovations that make players say I’ve never seen that in a game before.”
Alongside this announcement, LightSpeed Studios VP Steve Martin also spoke about how the company is strengthened by featuring developers with a vast array of experience. For context, LightSpeed Studios features developers that have previously worked on major games under Rockstar, Naughty Dog, Obsidian, and Sony Santa Monica.
“Every developer’s true ambition lies in developing original games,” said Martin in a statement. “The creative freedom of creating your own lore from scratch, building a compelling narratives and characters, and all the ideation and inspiration that explodes from this, this is the dream of any creative, and that’s why LightSpeed Studios is the place to be.”
Itsuno had announced that he is joining LightSpeed Studios back in January. Back then, Itsuno said that work on a new project had already begun, with the developer looking forward to a proper announcement for the game. Itsuno’s joining of LightSpeed Studios came around half a year after his departure from Capcom back in August 2024.
The last major title Itsuno worked on during his long tenure at Capcom was Dragon’s Dogma 2. He has also worked on other major titles in the franchise, including Devil May Cry 3, 4 and 5. Itsuno spent more than 30 years at Capcom, and in that time, he has worked on quite a few games, including Star Gladiator and Rival Schools: United by Fate.
Along with this new project with Itsuno, LightSpeed Studios has also been working on a narrative open-world title dubbed Last Sentinel. Set in a futuristic Tokyo, the development of Last Sentinel is being led by Martin, who has previously worked on major open-world franchises like GTA and Red Dead Redemption.
Last Sentinel is being developed using Unreal Engine 5, and puts players in the shoes of Hiromi Shoda. While not too many details have been revealed so far, with even its announcement trailer not featuring much in the way of gameplay, we do know that the protagonist will be a peacekeeper. How her role as a peacekeeper will come at odds with the game’s central storyline is currently unknown, however.
