Following the tremendous success of Vampire Survivors and its recent spin-off, Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard, it comes as no surprise that UK-based indie developer poncle is expanding its horizons by establishing a new studio in Japan. The studio will be spearheaded by Sawaki Takeyasu, a former Capcom developer and the mind behind El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.
During an interview with Weekly Famitsu (as cited by Gematsu), Luca Galante, founder of poncle and creator of Vampire Survivors, disclosed that the notion of a Japan-based studio had been a long-held ambition, fueled by his passion for Japanese gaming and positive experiences from his visits to the region.
The concept began to crystallize in 2023, when poncle’s chief strategy officer, Matteo Sapio, introduced Galante to Takeyasu. Galante, a longtime admirer of Takeyasu’s artistic work and his contributions as a character and monster designer on Okami (the game which inspired the studio’s name “poncle”), found a kindred spirit in Takeyasu, who was equally impressed by Vampire Survivors despite its relatively recent release just a year prior to their meeting.
As the leader of poncle’s new Japanese studio, Takeyasu’s responsibilities will include supporting the company’s overarching objectives while building a strong presence in Japan. Although the studio’s size remains undetermined, the intention is to maintain small, agile teams.
Takeyasu expressed his ambition to cultivate a studio driven by passion and market dynamics, aiming to create opportunities for emerging developers regardless of age or experience. His immediate focus is on boosting the profile of Vampire Survivors in Japan and fostering an environment where developers can explore innovative concepts through compact projects. Given that Vampire Survivors already boasts a dedicated Japanese X account with a substantial following, he appears to be off to a promising start.
Galante further emphasized that the core tenets of poncle’s development ethos—“creating games the team wants to make, respecting players, and prioritizing accessibility”—will continue to guide the studio, influencing not only Vampire Survivors and Vampire Crawlers but also future endeavors.
Going forward, regional teams will focus on distinct projects, with poncle having also recently established a new studio in Italy. While inter-studio collaboration is not off the table, the primary approach will be independent development. Galante confirmed that the Japan Studio could be the source of a new game, with future titles potentially drawing from the Vampire Survivors universe or exploring entirely new intellectual properties.