LightSpeed Studios announced today that they’re focusing on supporting the development of original cross-platform games. From this renewed initiative from LightSpeed Studios, the biggest news comes with the revelation at GDC 2025 that Hideaki Itsuno, of Capcom fame, has just started working on his next project under LightSpeed Japan Studios.
If you’re unfamiliar with Hideaki Itsuno, he’s the visionary behind some of Capcom’s most iconic titles, including Devil May Cry, the Dragon’s Dogma series, and Capcom vs. SNK. His latest announcement is just one of many developments emerging from LightSpeed Studios, which operates multiple studios worldwide. Among them is LightSpeed LA, led by former Rockstar Games veteran Steve Martin, who’s heading the development of the highly anticipated AAA title, The Last Sentinel.
At GDC 2025, Itsuno provided some insight into the direction of his next project as he officially begins the development, although the details remain scarce.
“We’re building a creative environment that combines diverse cultural perspectives with cutting-edge technology,” said Hideaki Itsuno, General Manager of LightSpeed Japan Studio. “Our focus is on developing gameplay elements that offer players entirely new experiences – the kind of innovations that make players say, ‘I’ve never seen that in a game before.’”
For LightSpeed Studios, this announcement marks a significant step in putting its best foot forward in its commitment to supporting the development of original game IP. And it clarifies the relationship between the company and the smattering of studios under its umbrella around the world.
At the corporate level, LightSpeed Studios offers cutting-edge technology that will fuel its research and development, some of which the company showed off at GDC 2025. But LightSpeed Studios gives its studios their independence to build their games in their own way and in their own culture. For instance, Steve Martin has assembled what he calls a ‘dream team’ from big-name studios like Rockstar Games, Naughty Dog, Obsidian Entertainment, Sony Santa Monica, Meta, and EA Games.
“Every developer’s true ambition lies in developing original games. The creative freedom of creating your own lore from scratch, building a compelling narratives and characters, and all the ideation and inspiration that explodes from this, this is the dream of ant creative, and that’s why LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS is the place to be,” said Steve C. Martin, who brings his extensive experience from Rockstar Games where he contributed to acclaimed titles including Red Dead Redemption I and II and Grand Theft Auto V.”
Although each studio operates autonomously, they have access to shared resources that can accelerate development — particularly in the realm of AAA games. It’s a marked shift for a company that to-date has been best known for localizing popular titles and converting them to mobile – this for instance, PUBG Mobile and Final Fantasy XIV Mobile.
