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Capcom veteran Hideaki Itsuno joins Tencent subsidiary Lightspeed Studios

The Dragon's Dogma director will take charge of a new studio in Japan.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

November 12, 2024

1 Min Read
Hideaki Itsuno sat on a couch
Image via Lightspeed

At a Glance

  • The Capcom veteran will take charge of Lightspeed Japan Studio to oversee the development of triple-A action titles

PUBG Mobile co-developer Lightspeed Studios has tapped Dragon's Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno to lead a new studio in Japan.

The Capcom veteran will take charge of Lightspeed Japan Studio to oversee the development of triple-A action titles. Itsuno spent over 30 years at Capcom working on major franchises like Devil May Cry, Bionic Commando, and Street Fighter. He departed earlier this year to "start developing a new game in a new environment."

Now, a press release has confirmed he'll be leading Lightspeed's nascent Osaka and Tokyo-based studio.

"It is our great honor to have Hideaki Itsuno join Lightspeed Studios," said company president Jerry Chen. "The establishment of LightSpeed Japan Studio is a significant step in Lightspeed Studios' expansion and demonstrates our commitment to bringing the best possible games to our players."

Lightspeed Japan Studio is aiming to cultivate a "flexible and inclusive" working environment, and will foster innovation by leveraging "multi-platform, cross-device technologies."

"I look forward to creating original AAA action game titles together with the amazing team and building aesthetic and innovative experiences for the global player community," said Itsuno.

Tencent's major plays

Lightspeed is owned by Chinese conglomerate Tencent and currently has teams across Singapore, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Tencent has made a number of significant moves this year. In September, the company entered into a €15 million loan agreement with Alan Wake 2 developer Remedy Entertainment after upping its stake in the studio earlier this year.

Prior to that, it became the majority shareholder of Dying Light developer Techland and purchased a controlling stake in Swords of Legends developer Wangyuan Shengtang. 

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Tencent

About the Author

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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