Outspoken Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune is parting ways with Capcom at the end of this month, following a lengthy 23 year-long stint with the company. Inafune spearheaded Capcom’s most recent efforts, including DmC and Lost Planet 2. His official title prior to stepping down was “Head of R&D Management Group and Consumer Games R&D Division and Contents Management Division.”

“Work as a CEO requires speaking about your dreams and evaluating your subordinates,” noted the always-candid Inafune-san in a blog post translated by Andriasang. He added, “If you can do these two things, anyone can be CEO. I’ve always thought that, and I still do. However, I can no longer do these two at Daletto. I’ve lost the authority to evaluate my subordinates and the qualification to speak about my dreams.”

Inafune-san cited a lack of challenge as one of the motivating factors behind his leave. In essence, he’s reached the top of Capcom’s software development division and feels “settling down” would dampen his creative drive.

“It would probably be good for me to sit gracefully in this seat and become a leading figure in the industry. However, I cannot do this. Settling down means death for a creator. As long as you are a creator, you cannot settle down.”

It’s not clear as to where Inafune is headed. He mentions that his departure from Capcom marks a new beginning, a chance to start over. Time will tell if he lands somewhere else in the industry — the qualifications are certainly there.

Perhaps he’ll join ranks with former Capcom exec Shinji Mikami. Or start an entirely new studio altogether. With a fresh slate ahead, sky’s the limit.

Inafune made headlines during TGS last year for his controversial stance on the decline state of the Japanese gaming industry, calling it “finished.”

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