Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma producer says his upcoming 3D action RPG will be unlike any of his past titles 

After a 27-year-run at Capcom, veteran game producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi established the game studio GPTRACK50, where he has been working on a mysterious new game for the past two years. Kobayashi is known for his involvement in the Devil May Cry, Resident Evil and Dragon’s Dogma series, but it seems he’s aiming for something completely different with the upcoming title. 

Speaking to AUTOMATON, the producer reveals that the unannounced action RPG is “cool,” but not in a “stylish” way like Devil May Cry, and not like Dragon’s Dogma either. “I’m aiming for something different to the games I’ve worked on up until now. I’ve even been told it’s not Kobayashi-like,” he teases. 

But what kind of game is it then? Kobayashi makes a point of emphasizing several important aspects of the title, such as the fact that it’s a single-player game. As GPTRACK50 is owned by NetEase Games, people have assumed that the studio may turn to online or mobile game development, but this is not the case. 

As for genre – GPTRACK50 started out from the concept of creating an action game that does something new. “The main point we’re focusing on is incorporating new features into standard action. If we only use what’s already out there, the game will lack individuality, and it will be underwhelming.” At the same time, the producer stresses that while the game will have pronounced action game mechanics, it will not be punishingly technical like, say, soulslike games. The title will be balanced out with RPG elements such as character growth. “With a fair dose of both action and RPG mechanics, it’s a game in which you develop your wisdom and character to progress.” 

Now that they have successfully made the move to Unreal Engine and gathered almost 90% of the development staff they need, Kobayashi and GPTRACK50 are working towards officially announcing their new title. For more about the studio and Kobayashi’s views on action games, check out our full-length interview.