Capcom has released its 2025 Integrated Report, and tucked inside COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto’s section is a passage that gives fans of the company's under utilized IPs something to pay attention to.
While outlining Capcom’s long-term development goals, Tsujimoto directly names Mega Man, alongside Ace Attorney and Devil May Cry, as a brand the company intends to grow through new in-house projects.
Here’s the relevant part of his statement (page 28):
At Capcom, we aim to sustain our KPI of 10% or better annual operating profit growth along with our long-term goal of annual software sales of 100 million units. To improve our chance of success, we are working to resolve business challenges, issue by issue. Our efforts are focused on core IP such as the Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Street Fighter franchises, and mapping out mainline series entries and sequels, remakes, new IP, and ports of content to the latest hardware. We consistently release two to three major new titles each year, but recognize the need to grow our pipeline going forward. Capcom owns a wealth of globally popular brands, such as Mega Man, Devil May Cry, and Ace Attorney. We aim to expand our user base and improve our performance through new releases, remakes, and ports of titles in these series to new hardware. By enhancing brand power and cultivating loyal fan bases, we will grow these into core IPs.
Mega Man has often been described in past reports or shareholder meetings as a component of Capcom’s back catalog strategy, not as an active growth target. But here, Tsujimoto frames it as a non-core IP the company intends to support further with new releases, remakes, or ports.
Tsujimoto also outlines Capcom’s broader production strategy to support this: expanding its Osaka development hub, constructing a new development facility planned for completion in 2027, recruiting more staff, and continuing to update RE Engine.
The people developing this content are our world-class in-house creators. For the past three years, we have made strengthening our human capital a management priority, and to this end, have been training and recruiting personnel to expand our development structure. Previously, we consolidated our game development in Osaka to promote efficiency, however, to further strengthen its structure, we are currently constructing a new development facility next to our head office, slated for completion in 2027.
For now, it's encouraging to see Mega Man positioned in Capcom’s official growth strategy, rather than just its history.
Let Capcom remake the Mega Man franchise. Starting with Mega Man 1. Fully in 3D. Make it like Mega Man Legends with RPG elements and action paced gameplay. Upgrade your weapons, armor and have sections where you can roam around with Rush Jet. A Hub to come back and shop for upgrades and to teleport to stages and fight Robot masters.
ReplyDeleteNo thank you. What I'm hearing is "I really like this but what I really want is that!" That's why the franchise is such a damn mess as it is. Lets keep doing more of that...
DeleteJust go play Legends if that's what you prefer. Or ever other boilerplate 3rd person action game. I'm sick of open worlds and reboots. And getting very tired of remakes too.
Kirby
DeleteKeep Mega Man game as is for old gamers and speed runners. Add an easy mode for filthy casuals with mobile app gameplays (autorun, taps, timings, rhythms, modern button type, what have you)
DeleteNo thanks. While I'm all for a Legends 3, I'm not interested in an expansion of the first game to make it into a 3d action rpg.
DeleteGotta agree with shrap and mechamal here, in the sense that we don't really need this... It would upset a lot of fans. Classic/X/Zero/Zx are mainly about 2d or 2.5d at most. But, it might be an interesting idea for Legends 3 to expand on the 3d stuff like you said, could even introduce those mechanics you mentioned in legends and a "rush" pet to volnutt, i would genuinely like that ngl. Doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.
DeleteIf a remake for each of those games does happen, just improve the graphics and leave most of the other stuff the same. Can add dialog for more story, but side scrolling games should be kept side scrolling. 3D is good for Legends but not for the other series in the timeline. I would be happy if they updated the graphics for L1 and L2 and made and L3 though (some fans are trying to do a graphics make over).
DeleteAlso yeah, more sequels, less remakes and reboots, please. I agree with shrap for the most part here. Way too many prequels, reboots, and remakes these days. I personally prefer mostly sequels.
DeleteAlso strange these days that when they milk a series like they did Star Wars by creating entire movies and series around each character, or how they are sure milking the overdone Kirk era in Star Trek instead of just making some series set in the 26th, 27th, etc century. Kirk era has been too saturated with movies and series as of 2025.
I disagree with the others, this would absolutely be sick if they did it right. Really redo the franchise in a way that would maximize what legends tried to do.
DeleteI love the old games, thats why i play the roms, but if you try and continue with NEW side-scrolling versions of the same game- It will only be liked by a niche group of people. They tried it woth megaman 11… didnt have mainstream apeall.
@CadaverAbuse It didn't? From what I remember hearing, it sold pretty well for a MM game.
Delete@CadaverAbuse
DeleteWhile it wouldn’t be my ideal, it seems reasonably likely with the wordage of this report. I agree there’s an upper limit to Capcom’s returns for a 2D action game (which is why I’d prefer they just keep budgets down, but we know that’s not an option for AAA…), so it’d be a sound business decision to retool Mega Man into something more mainstream. Ultimately, this decision is all about business.
Also, I really like your screen name. :p
@CadaverAbuse
DeleteIt would be great for mainstream appeal, but most of Mega Man's appeal conflicts with mainstream appeal. Would it be better for the series to live on as successful, but only resembling itself aesthetically (and maybe in story) just because a lot of people wouldn't mind it as long as it shares some surface-level traits, or would it be better for the series to remain niche, inactive until the industry itself changes?
Noo thank you. I want new games.
Delete@CadaverAbuse
Delete11 sold very well.
@Gary Daniel
DeleteRegarding Star Wars, just drop everything after the Disney buyout. They willfully make their products anti Star Wars, every single one devalues or takes a direct shot at the movies and the universe. For example, George always maintained that the spaceship scenes are meant to be designed like a rollercoaster ride meanwhile TLJ's were purposefully designed to be as slow as possible or the fact that balance to the force means the destruction of darksiders and not equal amounts of light and dark side like in Disney Star Wars because the dark side is the corruption of the force or the frame from ROTJ with a cross on Luke's face after TLJ's release. And don't get me started on the character brutalization of Luke, Han and Leia. Then there's the special case with TCW, George needed a show to make Lucasfilm look profitable in order to sell the company shortly after in which the original plan was to depict the real events of the Clone Wars, after the deal with Tartakovsky fell through and realizing Henry Gilroy and Dave Filoni didn't know the universe and didn't care about continuity he changed his plan to make it about in-universe propaganda and a mythology within a mythology. All this happened prior to the proper production of the show aka pre production. That was going to be the big reveal at the end of the show, it's an in-universe Empire/Republic propaganda show and it's why Admiral Yularen(of the Empire from the original movie, of course) is the narrator and also the fact the opening of every single episode is designed like a WW2 propaganda film.
When it comes to Star Trek, just quit after Enterprise when the JJ Abrams movies introduce the "Kelvin Timeline"(in reality, it should be called the Kelvin Universe considering the physics are different from the get-go) and all those other awful shows.
believe it when I see it
ReplyDeleteTrue.
DeleteCapcom's announced AA7 like 3 separate times now (likely hoping to generate hype) but all we've seen since AA6 are localizations of games that never should have been japan only for more than a year and ports of games we already have on new platforms
As a longtime fan of several neglected/abandoned Capcom games, I'm in the same boat. Just look at the publicity image attached to this or any other company PR campaign like Capcom Town and count the ratio of dead franchises vs. franchises that regularly get new games.
DeleteSpoiler: only three get new games regularly, while everything else is either long-dead or gets new games so infrequently that they might as well be dead.
I wonder if they're going to make a new Mega Man series as a "reboot" of sorts, a fresh slate, or if they're going to try to keep expanding on established worlds like classic and X. Part of me wants them to play it safe and appeal to nostalgia, but that's not sustainable. The other part of me wants to see something new that can capture new audiences with a fresh gameplay style and aesthetic - a big risk, but it could pay off.
ReplyDeleteGod, no. I don't think Meggim needs more of that.
DeleteDunno about reboot, but I could go for a revival of that cancelled FPS game. I'm not even a fan of FPS, but I think Rockman has the chops to pull it off in the same vein as Samus did with the Prime games.
Deletekeeping it classic is definitely sustainable. the problem isn't sustainability, capcom is a "real company" with investors they must constantly appease. sustainable isn't good enough, they want infinite growth.
Deletethey can easily have 3rd parties develop mega man games that continue in the spirit of the respective series to push out new games with no burden to themselves. they'll make modest profit and form relationships with companies they'll eventually absorb and force to work on resident street hunter: evil monster fighter infinite now with 200% more season pass DLC.
Sticking to the rules is not really "nostalgia". Appealing to nostalgia would be something along the lines of key jangling. Either way, at some point someone like Haruhiro should realize that your audience will hit the peak or ceiling in terms of size and luck becomes a much bigger factor in order to expand it, if not the only one.
DeleteI’ve always thought there was a logical point where the 20XX really has to stop (at least as we know it), because the main plot revolves around the conflict of two normal humans who even at the very beginning are pretty old, and are known since mid-90’s releases to eventually die. The longer you draw that out, the more it feels like jumping the shark.
DeleteIf Capcom wants to make a spiritual reboot, I think it might be a good move to start a post-Legends series. It might cheapen that series’ actual ending, but it’s definitely not the first time…
That would be sick
DeleteIt’s slightly more promising talk, but it’s still just talk. And talk is cheap. But at this point, they’d probably have me even for remakes, finished product withstanding. I think even Capcom knows the well is about tapped for Legacy Collections.
ReplyDeleteI have zero expectations because I know that's the only way they'll be met. This is empty talk that's going to go nowhere.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sick of remakes and ports. They're all overpriced and saturating the market.
ReplyDeleteMega Man 12, Mega Man X9 and a new Breath of Fire while they're at it. A gaming company making new games? What a concept.
I hope Morrigan/Darkstalkers is also included in this " make Core IP" stuff, as she's also present in the report logo. As for Rockman, Capcom is pretty much done with ports considering all of them Legacy Collections. Only Dash to go... So it's gotta be either new games or remakes.
ReplyDeleteTalk is cheap, I want a new Mega Man game like Star Force 4 or Mega Man x9 i still haven't heard any news just stuff about toys and comics but no new game news. other than the Star Force Legacy Collection i just about to give up on them and move on it's sad but that's just how i feel.
ReplyDeletewhat are you gonna do stop buying new mega man games lol
DeleteI don't believe this. Don't say it. Do it.
ReplyDelete"Capcom Looks to Grow Mega Man"
ReplyDeleteI can olny hope, but talk is cheap. Less talk, more doing.
x9 confirmed = w =
ReplyDeleteLots of people saying they dislike crapcoms ideas but I also dont see anyone talking to them in a rage state. 😂 And yeah who cares what they do with it now.
ReplyDeleteCan we add Breath of Fire to the list? There's still more potential!
ReplyDeleteI would love that and a new line of figures to go along with it.
DeleteWhatever it is, I'm sure it'll leave vocal people disappointed and frustrated if Metroid Prime 4 or most other new games to long running franchises is anything to go by.
ReplyDeleteDarkstalkers: *insert skeleton underwater meme*
ReplyDelete2025 and soon to be 2026, and still NO DARKSTALKERS?!
ReplyDeleteCause we want mega man x 9
DeleteI'm sorry, but I am not buying it. As someone who grew up with the franchise, saw its ascension, lived through the dark age, had a glimpse of hope with MM11 return and saw franchise resuming its operations only with collections, this is only talk. We have heard how important MegaMan is to Capcom since forever in different versions over and over. It is always the same story, however, with new wording. I would be happy even with remakes, but, until I see it, I am not buying it... literally lol
ReplyDeleteI lived through it too i'd saw every Mega Man game and i was surprised to hear about Mega Man 1. i'm with you i'm not buying anything until they announced a new game.
DeleteWhether this leads to a new game finally or not is one thing, but a new game after the same length of time as the last Mega Man drought isn't enough. We need an actual commitment to regular new titles from Capcom going forward, especially since they've nearly tapped the Legacy Collection well completely dry. They got us once with the whole "Mega Man is back, guys!" trick back in 2017, and with how little that led to, I'm not confident that this means much from a company that shows little to no faith in anything but their three core IPs when it comes to new games.
ReplyDeleteCapcom's had a problem for decades now of treating its back catalog as cheap collection fodder, rather than actually utilizing it as a well for new game ideas. I don't see that ever changing, especially after how many "we're looking at bringing back old IPs" promises they've made and then never delivered on since they regained their footing with Resident Evil 7 and Monster Hunter World.
Capcom's a company that makes solid games nowadays, way better than the slop they put out in the 2010's, but they've become such a boring company to follow because you know that the only games they'll consistently makes and promote are the usual rotation of Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter. Anything outside of those three franchises that isn't a compilation of decades-old games is so rare that it either ends up as a hype moment (Okami 2), or something so obviously DOA that you wonder why they bothered (Exoprimal). I miss when Capcom had a lot of things on offer to please all sorts of fans instead of treating anything that isn't their big three as an afterthought. The company famous for taking risks on new ideas and revolutionizing the industry time and time again has now become too scared to venture outside their comfort zone.
In fact, this actually makes some sense. Ace Attorney is rumored to be getting a new installment, and Devil May Cry still has to release its sixth entry. As for Mega Man, I saw a 'rumor' that in the coming years they would release several Mega Man titles, which would be: Mega Man Starforce Legacy Collection – 2026, something related to Mega Man Legends – late 2027, Mega Man Taisen – 2028, and Mega Man 12 – 2028, with the last two being 40th anniversary titles.
ReplyDeleteI'm skeptical about the Taisen thing.
DeleteThe Legends related one isn't being branded as a 40th anniversary title? The first game came out in 1987. I'm calling bull on this "rumor".
DeleteNo see, Mega Man 11 was a popular game that was close to the anniversary, so now every 5 years from then is the anniversary year. It’s Super Sentai post-Carranger logic! /s
DeleteIf we don't get adleast mega man x 9 I might get mad that game has a special place in my heart and Capcom doesn't even care about it 🥀
ReplyDeleteThis is cause for celebration! 🎉🎉🎉 Time to replay X collection again
ReplyDeleteI'm tired boss
ReplyDeleteI just want a new game... Not gachas... remakes... model kits... comics...
I just want a new game. I miss MegaMan being even remotely present as a regular game franchise.
Just buy this newest ugly $45 t-shirt, Mega Man DLC (ONLY from Mega Man 2 of course), one more action figure, and then we promise we'll make a new game this time.
ReplyDeleteRemember when this blog had quotes from Capcom shortly after Mega Man 11 came out that they were working on the next MM game? Still haven't seen a screenshot, game play, or even a piece of art about it.
I will never believe they plan to make a new MM game until we actually have it.
pretty sure that one mystery project was scrapped
DeleteMaybe i shouldn't be so pessimistic they might make a new game.
ReplyDelete