Following the success of Vampire Survivors, its creator Poncle has announced the opening of a studio in Japan. It will be led by Sawaki Takeyasu, a designer known for titles such as El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron and Devil May Cry. The initiative stems from the founder Luca Galante's admiration for the Japanese industry and his desire to collaborate with local talent.
The studio's engine: experience in action and Japanese design 🎮
Takeyasu brings over two decades of experience at Capcom and independent studios. His visual and narrative style, seen in El Shaddai, could influence future Poncle projects. Although Vampire Survivors uses a simple engine (Phaser), the new Japanese headquarters will allow for exploring more complex technologies, such as Unreal Engine, for titles with a greater emphasis on animation and combat. The studio structure will be small, prioritizing rapid iteration over large teams.
From killing vampires with pixels to doing it with Japanese style ⚔️
That the creator of a game where everything is 8-bit sprites and flying numbers has hired the artistic father of characters with studded pants and impossible poses has its charm. Perhaps in the next DLC, vampires will breakdance while throwing katanas. Or maybe it's just an excuse for Takeyasu to dissect how success works without having to lift a finger from Tokyo.