LightSpeed Studios, the game company behind Final Fantasy 14 Mobile and PUBG Mobile, is doubling down on original cross platform games, the company announced today. What’s notable though is that Hideaki Itsuno of Capcom fame is finally unveiling what’s next after taking the helm as General Manager of LightSpeed Japan Studios. At GDC 2025, Itsuno is announcing that he’s just begun developing a new AAA game title, though the exact details about the game are still mum, so we’ll have to keep a look out.
This is major news coming from a storied background that saw Itsuno lead the development for storied game titles like Devil May Cry, the Dragon’s Dogma series, Capcom VS. SNK. The announcement comes as LightSpeed Studios, the parent organization for LightSpeed LA and LightSpeed Japan Studios, have been best known for building mobile hits for franchises like Final Fantasy and MMO PUBG. But gamers are still anticipating the next steps of what to expect now that the company is drawing their attention toward building original AAA games.
“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.”
The major title that’s in high anticipation right now from LightSpeed Studios comes from its LA studio, LightSpeed L.A. The Last Sentinel, which is currently in production, is being led by LightSpeed Studios’ VP, Steve Martin, who previously hails from Rockstar Games. But beyond a trailer, there’s little that’s been revealed about the title. What we do know now is that the regional studios scattered around the world are independently run, but can tap into LightSpeed Studios’ resources – namely the developments coming from its R&D efforts, which the company revealed at GDC 2025.
Steve’s studio does emphasize that the development is in good hands and progressing thanks to world-class teams from famed studios like Rockstar Games, Naughty Dog, Obsidian Entertainment, and 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.”
