‘Devil May Cry and So Will I:’ DMC Fans Left Shattered By Director Hideaki Itsuno’s Capcom Exit

Pour one out for all the Devil May Cry fans out there. Legendary game director Hideaki Itsuno has announced that he’ll be leaving Capcom after over 30 years with the publisher.

Fans of Itsuno’s work will know him as the director for many of the games in the Devil May Cry series as well as Dragon’s Dogma, with the last game he worked on being the much-celebrated Dragon’s Dogma 2. And he’s not only had a big impact on spectacle fighters but on the stylish fighting games of yore, serving as planner and director on titles such as Street Fighter Alpha and Power Stone.

Needless to say, Itsuno has been a revered figure among Capcom’s star developers, and Devil May Cry fans aren’t taking his exit well. “Devil may cry and so will I,” writes reddit user BitingArtist.

Everywhere, fans are adamantly spamming the “It’s Joever” meme, while Reddit user Bergonath writes, “Itsunover…”

But while DMC fans rend their clothes and scream into the sky, it shouldn’t all be tears. In his exit statement, Itsuno mentions that he’ll be developing a new game in a new environment and to stay tuned for his next creation. So while we mourn the loss of an Itsuno-led DMC6, we can look forward to more of the director’s work in the future.

It should also be noted that we’ll likely still get a DMC6 anyway, albeit under new direction (looking at you, Hideki Kamiya). Devil May Cry is a well-established IP for Capcom, and I doubt they’d just let it fall to the wayside for all time. Capcom may not be particularly known for frequently dipping into their IP, spamming constant new releases like other publishers (I stand with all the poor, enfeebled Mega Man and Darkstalkers fans out there), but they do tend to return to their most beloved series over time … mostly (my apologies to all the Dino Crisis lovers). So while Devil May Cry may get put on ice, it probably won’t be forever.

Although, the common sentiment seems to be that if the DMC series does end with Devil May Cry 5, it ain’t all that bad. In fact, it’s a pretty high note to go off on.

Devil May Cry 5 released five years ago back in 2019 to critical acclaim and much fanfare. Our very own Anthony John Agnello said in his Escapist review that “Devil May Cry 5’s eagerness to be silly is boss” and that “Devil May Cry 5 penetrated [his] old sulci with its luscious combination of action, suppurating art, and brute melodrama. Devil May Cry 5 is stupid and awesome. Devil May Cry 5 is rock and roll.”

So rock on, Itsuno. I for one look forward to seeing what comes next from his brilliant mind, no matter where he may be.