Castlevania producer leaves Konami to start his own studio

Castlevania producer and long-term Konami employee Koji ‘IGA’ Igarashi has left the Japanese developer to form his own game studio.

Igarashi’s last day at Konami was March 15th. While he didn’t provide a name for his new studio in his parting statement, he did say that it will likely focus on making games in the vein of his most well known work.

"I’ve decided to break out on my own to have the freedom to make the kind of games I really want to make – the same kind I think fans of my past games want as well,” said Igarashi.

"Leaving Konami was a big decision, and not one I took lightly – I’ve spent my entire career there, made many friends, and had a lot of great opportunities – but I hope all the gamers and fans who have supported me in the past will join me in being excited about what comes next. Wish me luck!”

Igarashi has worked on Konami titles since the 1980s and is best known for being the producer of 1997 PlayStation classic Symphony of the Night. As well as working on over a dozen Castlevania titles, he has worked on Gradius spin-off Otomedius Excellent and Leedmees.

Igarashi will present a talk this Friday at GDC to discusses the common design threads in Metroid-like games. He may also offer hints at what he’s working on next.