Poncle to Open Japan Studio Led by Sawaki Takeyasu
The move signals poncle's push to build small, autonomous regional teams focused on extending Vampire Survivors or developing new intellectual property.
Overview
- poncle confirmed it will establish a Japan studio headed by veteran creator Sawaki Takeyasu, with the leadership and intent reported in Weekly Famitsu and summarized by industry outlets.
- Founder Luca Galante says the plan grew from his long-standing admiration for Japanese games and a 2023 introduction to Takeyasu by chief strategy officer Matteo Sapio.
- The company intends to keep development teams relatively small and regionally autonomous, and has already opened a separate studio in Italy to pursue independent projects.
- Takeyasu said he wants the Japan studio to prioritize passion-driven work over market trends, create chances for aspiring developers, raise Vampire Survivors' profile in Japan, and support smaller-scale experimentation.
- Key details remain undecided, including exact team size, specific projects and timelines, and the studio could either produce new IP or contribute a future Vampire Survivors project while enabling cross-region collaboration.