Koji Igarashi, a producer at Konami known for his work on Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, has left the studio to create his own.

According to IGN, Igarashii left the company on March 15. "I've decided to break out on my own to have the freedom to make the kind of games I really want to make -- the same kind I think fans of my past games want as well," Igarashi told IGN.

He also said that leaving Konami wasn't a light decision, especially since he's spent most of his career in the video game industry there and made a lot of friends. It's his hope that everyone who supported him in the past will continue to do so and support his future endeavors. There's no actual word on what his new development studio will be called or what kinds of games he'll want to create, but we'll keep you updated on news of his moves.

Igarashi will be present at the Game Developers Conference this week with a presentation on his experiences and methodology in the games industry. It will specifically focus on the side-scrolling action game genre, of which the Castlevania games are a part. Earlier in his career, he worked on shoot 'em ups like Gradius 2 and Detana!! TwinBee, as well as dating sims like Tokimeki Memorial and Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with you.

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