Poncle to open Japan studio led by El Shaddai creator Sawaki Takeyasu

• The expansion stems from Luca Galante's long-standing admiration for Japanese games.
• Regional studios will primarily develop projects independently.
• The new Japan studio could create future games.

Vampire Survivors developer Poncle has revealed plans to expand its global development footprint by establishing a new studio in Japan led by Sawaki Takeyasu.

As reported by Gematsu, the company intends to continue operating with relatively small development groups.

Poncle has also established a new studio in Italy and is exploring both Vampire Survivors-related projects and new intellectual properties.

Long-term ambition 

The new studio announcement was first revealed in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, where Poncle founder Luca Galante explained that opening a Japanese studio had been a long-term ambition driven by his admiration for Japanese games and his experiences visiting the country.

The idea gained momentum after Poncle chief strategy officer Matteo Sapio introduced Galante to Takeyasu around 2023. Both developers were already familiar with each other's work. 

The name Poncle itself is derived from the Poncles featured in Okami, a title on which Takeyasu worked as a character designer.

According to Galante, the studio's development philosophy remains centred on creating games the team wants to make, respecting players, and prioritising accessibility. 

Future projects will largely be developed independently by regional teams and Galante confirmed that a future title could emerge from the Japan studio.