Updated
Updated · Gematsu · Jun 3
Poncle Opens Japan Studio With El Shaddai Creator Sawaki Takeyasu, Eyes New Projects Beyond Vampire Survivors
Updated
Updated · Gematsu · Jun 3

Poncle Opens Japan Studio With El Shaddai Creator Sawaki Takeyasu, Eyes New Projects Beyond Vampire Survivors

2 articles · Updated · Gematsu · Jun 3

Summary

  • Weekly Famitsu said poncle will establish a Japan studio led by El Shaddai creator and crim CEO Sawaki Takeyasu, giving the Vampire Survivors developer a new base in the country.
  • Luca Galante said he had wanted a Japan studio for years, and the plan solidified after CSO Matteo Sapio introduced him to Takeyasu around 2023.
  • Regional teams are expected to work largely independently, and Galante said a future project could come from the Japan studio even as poncle keeps development teams relatively small.
  • Takeyasu said he wants the studio to back passion-driven, accessible game development, raise Vampire Survivors' profile in Japan, and give creators of any age or experience room to experiment.
  • The Japan expansion follows a new Italy studio and fits poncle's broader push to make both more Vampire Survivors-linked games and entirely new IP.

Insights

What kind of game will a legendary Japanese creator, now leading a poncle studio, create next?
With 15 projects and a new engine, is poncle building an empire or risking the magic that made Vampire Survivors a hit?