Aims to 'make the kinds of games [he] really wants to make'

A few years ago, Keiji Inafune left Capcom to pursue independent game development. Following in those footsteps, Koji Igarashi worked his last day at Konami this past Saturday, March 15. Igarashi has been synonymous with the Castlevania franchise since his work on Symphony of the Night. He intends to open his own development studio, hoping to make games his fans will enjoy.

In an interview with IGN, Igarashi said, "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. 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!”

Before leaving Konami, he had been an employee for almost 25 years, and has been credited in more than a dozen Castlevania titles. I'm hoping we finally get an HD 2D Castlevania-like from his new studio. It is what the fans want, after all.

Castlevania Producer Koji Igarashi Leaves Konami [IGN]