Visions of Mana co-director Kenji Ozawa has established a new studio called Sasanqua.
Ozawa has unveiled Sasanqua just months after departing NetEase-owned Ouka Studio, which was reportedly facing closure as of August 2024.
Speaking to Automaton about his new venture, Ozawa explained Sasanqua will initially focus on smaller-scale projects developed in Unreal Engine. He eventually hopes to create larger PC and console titles.
Ozawa told Automaton that Sasanqua will work to “protect creators” and said he is prepared to accept responsibility if projects fail due to poor management.
He said he was motivated to establish the studio after witnessing mismanagement first hand—and feels it’s wrong that developers so often pay the price for decisions made by corporate leaders.
The news comes with Ozawa’s former employer, NetEase, having recently chosen to lay off several Marvel Rivals developers in the United States shortly after the title amassed over 40 million players.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, the Chinese conglomerate has quietly scaled down its international operations in recent months after a flurry of investments in overseas studios.
In response to that report, NetEase told Game Developer it remains committed to supporting its studios around the world, but said some structural changes will be “necessary” moving forward.