“I didn’t create a company to make a high-end version of existing games with a similar gameplay, story and character design,” said Itsuno when asked about the gaming market being oversaturated with Soulslike titles. “I came to LightSpeed Studio to create an action game with a different value, gameplay than the existing ones. I appreciate their contribution but I’m not going to create the same thing.”

As for what Itsuno might have taken with him from Capcom in terms of experience and knowledge about making action games, he said that, rather than making yet another title that might be like Devil May Cry 5, he’s more interested in games that break the traditional action game mold, citing titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

“After Devil May Cry 5, many single-player games were released,” he said. “Leaving aside whether they were a hit or not, I don’t have any particular thoughts about the games of that same style. There were many games with a style between Dark Souls and Devil May Cry, but there was nothing too surprising. I got more impacted by games outside of that range, like the recent Indiana Jones game.”

However, Itsuno did mention that his next game through LightSpeed Studio will be something like what he had previously made at Capcom. He noted that this was what he meant when he said that he was making a “Japanese-style” action game at GDC earlier this year.

“This is not a game with samurai and so forth,” explained Itsuno. “When I talk about ‘Japanese style,’ I mean like the type of action games I made at Capcom. Strong animation, character design, creativity, a high skill ceiling, and a variety of action are the focus of the game. So I hope that players who love action games love this game too.”

Itsuno had announced that work on his new project had started all the way back in January through a social media post. In the post, he said that the studio was looking to hire more developers for the project, and that more details about the title will be announced to everyone as soon as it is possible for the studio to do so.

“A new project has already started,” said Itusno when he announced the project. “We will do our best to announce it to everyone as soon as possible. We are also looking for people to join us in developing the game!”

This action game will be the first project that Itsuno has worked on since his departure from Capcom back in August last year. Before he left the company, he had completed work on open-world RPG Dragon’s Dogma 2, more details of which can be found in our review.

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.