Dragon’s Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno to lead PUBG Mobile dev’s new Japanese studio

Just two months after his high-profile departure from Capcom, Dragon’s Dogma franchise creator Hideaki Itsuno’s already found a new gig: running his own studio.

LightSpeed Studios, the Tencent subsidiary responsible for PUBG Mobile and, apparently, some random zombie game featuring actor Will Smith, announced this morning that Itsuno will be heading up its new LightSpeed Japan Studio. No information on Itsuno’s official title was provided.

“It is our great honor to have Hideaki Itsuno join LightSpeed Studios,” said LightSpeed Studios 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.”

Itsuno and LightSpeed Japan Studio are reportedly focused on creating “original AAA action games.” LightSpeed Studios is no doubt hoping to take advantage of the veteran developer’s 30-year history working on Capcom franchises like Rival Schools, Power Stone, Capcom vs. SNK, Devil May Cry, and Dragon’s Dogma, all of which are explicitly name-dropped in the announcement.

LightSpeed Japan Studio will operate out of both Tokyo and Osaka, and is being advertised as a “flexible and inclusive working environment.” Over a dozen open positions are currently posted on the Tencent hiring portal.

“Joining LightSpeed Studios is an exciting new chapter for me,” Hideaki Itsuno said. “With LightSpeed’s strong development capability and global network, 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. We welcome all talented and passionate game creators from the world over to join our vision.”