VeteranDragon Questproducer Ryutaro Ichimura has announced he will be leaving Square Enix after nearly 20 years working with the iconic JRPG developer. While not as widely recognized as its counterparts inFinal FantasyandKingdom Hearts, the series with art byDragon Ballcreator Akira Toriyama has been a mainstay for Square Enix. TheRPG franchise has seen 11 main-series entriesand a multitude of spinoffs spanning all different genres, from monster tamers toMinecraft-inspired games and more. Now, one of its biggest producers is departing the franchise.Ryutaro Ichimura’s first credited appearance with Square Enix dates back nearly two decades as a producer forDragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King. Since his first appearance with the franchise, Ichimura has been a mainstay ofDragon Questacting as a producer on nearly every main-seriesDragon Questgame and several spinoffs. Most recently, Ichimura was chief producer for the upcomingInfinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai, set for a worldwide release this Fall. Now, Ichimura has confirmed it would be his final project with Square Enix.RELATED:Dragon Quest Treasures Gets Surprise DemoIchimura announced on Friday through his Twitter that he would be leaving Square Enix as of March 31st. The producer was grateful for his time with Square Enix after having worked for nearly two decades as a main figurehead ontheDragon Questfranchise. Ichimura confirmed he had already handed offInfinity Strashto his successor, though he did state he had “overseen it to near-completion” during his time at the studio. Despite his departure, Ichimura did express his continued interest in game development, intending to keep creating games after leaving Square Enix.
Ichimura leaving Square Enix would not be the first time since the start of 2023 a major figure in theDragon Questfranchise has departed from the developer.Producer Ryota Aomi announced earlier this yearhe would be leaving Square Enix after 10 years with the developer, mainly working on theDragon Quest Heroesspinoff. Similarly to Ichimura, Aomi confirmed he would be continuing to work in game development, though he did not name his studio at the time.
The departure of Ichimura comes as many fans are anxiously waiting for more news aboutDragon Quest 12. The game has seen surprisingly few updates since its initial reveal in May 2021 with an official release date for the game still unconfirmed. Fans have also grown concerned for the development of theDragon Questgame following recent statements fromSquare Enix expressing interest in blockchain-focused games. While theDragon Questfaithful continue to wait for news about the next game, they will say goodbye to a longstanding face of the franchise.
