Lightspeed Japan Studio has opened a second branch in Osaka and hired three Capcom veterans as part of “a series of strategic milestones.”
As reported by VGC, former Capcom director and Lightspeed Japan Studio head, Hideaki Itsuno, announced the expansion of the Tencent-owned studio on August 26, 2025.
In addition to the new branch, Lightspeed Japan Studio has hired three legendary Capcom veterans.
The first is Toshihiro Nakagawa (Bingo Morihashi), Itsuno’s long-time collaborator and a writer on several Devil May Cry games and the Dragon’s Dogma series, who has been hired as narrative designer.
The second is artist Daigo Ikeno, a character designer and illustrator for several Street Fighter and Devil May Cry games, as well as art director on both Dragon’s Dogma titles.
The third hire is Gouda Cheese (also known as Bengus), who has been brought on as an art designer and is best known for his work on the Street Fighter series.
Itsuno told VGC that roughly a third of the studio’s 40 employees were Capcom veterans and that the opening of this new branch and these prolific hires represented “a significant step forward” for the studio.
Lightspeed Japan Studio was launched in November 2024, following Itsuno’s departure from Capcom in September after more than 30 years.
The studio plans to develop original AAA action titles as part of the overall firm’s global expansion efforts, and is currently working on an unannounced AAA title.
“Very few studios in Japan are taking on the challenge of building original AAA IP from scratch,” Itsuno told VGC. “That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
“Although we’re a new studio working on a new game, it’s good to be able to work with people who I trust like Mr. Nakagawa,” he said. “I have been working with him for decades, since Devil May Cry 2, and he’s one of those core members who understands me very well.
Itsuno continued: “Ikeno-san is also participating as an art director this time, and Bengus-san has a very high level of understanding and is a very unique man – he was a legendary designer at Capcom.”