Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is set to establish a new studio in Japan with Crim boss, Sawaki Takeyasu.
In an interview with Famitsu and reported by Gematsu, Poncle founder and Vampire Survivors creator Luca Galante talked about his dream of opening a Japan-based studio “due to his longtime admiration for Japanese games and positive experiences visiting Japan.”
Galante has also long admired Takeyasu’s work, with the word ‘Poncle’ originating from Okami, for which Takeyasu worked as character designer.
Takeyasu will reportedly support the studio as it establishes itself in Japan and, according to Gematsu, prioritize “creating games the team wants to make, respecting players, and prioritizing accessibility.”
“Going forward, the plan is for regional teams to pursue separate projects. While collaboration between regions remains possible, development will largely be handled independently, and Galante confirmed that a future project could emerge from the Japan studio,” the report stated.
“Takeyasu said he hopes to build a studio driven by passion rather than market trends, and create opportunities for aspiring developers regardless of age or experience. He also wants to increase awareness of Vampire Survivors in Japan and foster an environment where creators can experiment with new ideas through smaller-scale productions.”
Poncle is also looking to establish a new studio in Italy.
Poncle opened a new publishing division in late 2024. The team insisted it did not “want IP” and would not operate as a “traditional publisher,” but instead would work more as a label or fund to enable people to “make their games.”
