Dragon's Dogma and Devil May Cry director Hideaki Itsuno departs Capcom

Dragon's Dogma and Devil May Cry director Hideaki Itsuno has departed Capcom after 30 years.

Breaking the news on X, Itsuno explained he's leaving the Japanese studio to "start developing a new game in a new environment."

"I hope to create fun, beautiful games that are as memorable as, or even more memorable than, the ones I have created so far. Please stay tuned for my next creation," he added.

Itsuno joined Capcom in the '90s and worked on numerous franchises including SNK vs. Capcom, Bionic Commando, and Street Fighter.

More recently, he directed both Dragon's Dogma and Dragon's Dogma II. He also directed multiple mainline entries in the Devil May Cry series, including Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Devil May Cry 4, and Devil May Cry 5.

It's a notable departure, but one that comes with Capcom outperforming expectations–despite a downturn in net sales and operating income.

In its latest fiscal report, Capcom said it's making "solid progress" towards achieving its full-year targets after delivering software sales of almost 10 million units during the last quarter.

Capcom explained it's also working to "enhance the brand of its intellectual properties" by investing in television and movie projects, licensed merchandise, and esports initiatives.