After releasing Visions of Mana, director Ryosuke Yoshida has confirmed his departure from Ouka Studios. He’s now part of Square Enix, which published the action RPG on consoles and PC.
On Twitter, Yoshida revealed that he left the NetEase Games-owned studio on October 31st. “We were a new studio, but we were able to release Visions of Mana. I am grateful to the development team and NetEase for their support. It was a very good experience. Thank you all. I am happy to announce that I joined Square Enix in December. I will do my best to make a game that many people can enjoy!”
Visions of Mana launched in August for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It’s the first mainline title for the franchise in almost 18 years and focuses on Hinna and Val. The former must journey to the Mana Tree to serve as the Alm of Fire, while the latter acts as her bodyguard.
Players encounter others en route to the tree, who join their party and fight alongside them. Though each has set classes, they can change them (and corresponding elements) to unlock new abilities and playstyles. Head here for more details. A free demo is also available on all platforms. Whether Yoshida joining Square Enix means anything for the franchise’s future remains to be seen, so stay tuned.
On a personal note, I quit NetEase Ouka Studios on October 31st. We were a new studio, but we were able to release Visions of Mana. I am grateful to the development team and NetEase for their support.
It was a very good experience.
Thank you all.
I am happy to announce that I…— Ryosuke Yoshida (@YoshidaBeer) December 2, 2024
