Capcom President Credits Team‑Led Development for Recent Success

Capcom’s president and chief operating officer, Haruhiro Tsujimoto, attributes the studio’s recent triumphs to a deliberate pivot from auteur‑centric projects to collaborative, team‑driven development.

During a conversation with Famitsu, Tsujimoto—who has helmed the company as president and CEO since 2007 and is the son of founder Kenzo Tsujimoto—addressed how Capcom’s flagship franchises have continued to flourish even when the original creators are no longer at the helm.

He explained that, historically, Capcom’s studios mirrored the industry norm: a single visionary would own a major intellectual property, and the series would become tightly linked to that individual’s creative vision. As the game evolves into a franchise, it often becomes an “individual‑driven” title, heavily reliant on that one developer’s continued involvement.

For a long time, Capcom’s philosophy was simple: if the original creator didn’t produce a sequel, the series would end. The future of each franchise was essentially locked into the vision of a single individual.

That mindset began to shift when the company realized the constraints of an auteur‑centric model, especially when it came to satisfying shareholders—Capcom had been publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since 2000.

“We held discussions with the key figures behind each franchise and ultimately decided to abandon that single‑creator approach,” Tsujimoto explained. “Instead, we adopted a strategy where every title is essentially rebuilt from scratch.”

Capcom was willing to accept short‑term sales dips in favor of a team‑based development model, a shift that fundamentally transformed the company’s creative process and output.

Tsujimoto explained that a series thrives when its creative vision is shared among a collective, rather than hinging on a single mind. By cultivating a team‑centric culture, the expertise built over time is seamlessly handed down, ensuring each successive title upholds the franchise’s hallmark quality.

He noted that many of Capcom’s current developers were long‑time fans of the company’s catalog before they joined the studio. “We’ve assembled a group of people who loved Capcom games and thought, ‘This is fun, I want to make one myself,’” he said, adding that this shared passion naturally nurtures an IP‑centric mindset.

“Whether it’s development, marketing, or promotion, our strength lies in the fact that we’re able to work together as one – not as individuals, but as a team – driven by the desire to create and sell our own products. In that sense, Pragmata, which was just released in April 2026, is a new IP that truly embodies this team-first approach to game development.”