CyberConnect2 Has Three Next-Gen Titles in Development

CyberConnect2, known for their .hack franchise as well as a series of fighting games based in the Naruto universe, has announced in an interview with Famitsu magazine that they currently have three new titles in development for next-gen consoles, as reported by Gematsu. The company had previously teased this “new challenge” in an advertisement in Famitsu last week for recruiting staff. The ad was covered in keywords of varying sizes such as “Unreal Engine 4,” “photo-realistic,” “worldwide,” “RPG,” and “physics based rendering,” among others. This Famitsu advertisement was the lead-up to the current fifteen-page special feature in the magazine that was written in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of CyberConnect2. It also appears to have been a teaser for these three new game projects discussed within the detailed article.

President and CEO of CyberConnect2 Hiroshi Matsuyama told the magazine that the keywords across the advertisement have to do with three new titles currently in development under the company’s helm. The first game will be an RPG developed through Unreal Engine 4 which will target a worldwide audience, while the second will be an open-world game and the third will be a virtual reality title. All three are being developed for the new generation, although no titles or specific consoles were mentioned. Matsuyama also said that the company is switching from their half and half focus on console and mobile games to start developing more games for consoles. The company’s new ideal would be a 70% console and 30% mobile focus.

CyberConnect2 already has several already announced game in development including Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven, and, a game for mobile devices, Fullbokko Heroes X. The company is probably best known for the .hack series which were mostly released on the PlayStation 2 and has also seen film and TV adaptations. It’s unclear whether these new titles would possibly continue any of their franchises or if they would be entirely new titles.