Tactics Ogre creator Yasumi Matsuno joined Professor Layton developer Level-5 last year. Now just 16 months later, he's leaving the studio to take a break from game development.
As translated by Gematsu, Matsuno tweeted earlier today, "I'm sorry to report, but due to personal reasons, next month I'll be retiring from Level-5. Having finished production of 3DSWare [title Crimson Shroud] domestically and in North America and Europe, it's at a good point time-wise for me to retire."
He went on to note that he was grateful for his time at the studio, despite the short period he's been working for Level-5. "I plan on taking a break for a while," he added.
When Matsuno originally joined Level-5, CEO Akihiro Hino said that both himself and Matsuno shared a common vision, and had been in talks about working together for around a year.
Prior to joining Level-5, Matsuno was working on Square Enix title Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together for PSP. He has not yet given any indication of what he plans to do now.
Sad news. I hope we'll see Yasumi back to making games after he gets a chance to take a break. His work, particularly Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen, was a big part of what inspired me to pursue game design as a career.
