tri-Ace’s Yuichiro Kitao, best known for his programming work on the Star Ocean series, has announced his departure from the company after 14 years in a series of Tweets.
“I, Yuichiro Kitao, have decided to leave tri-Ace starting on the 12th of May,” Kitao wrote on Twitter. “It’s been 14 years and some months since I first entered the company. It’s been a substantial 14 years full of memories, which now feels much shorter, as I devoted myself to work earnestly.”
He continued: “I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity of making the tri-Ace games you all loved and having worked with many great staff members who took great care of me. Many years have passed since my dreams of working in the gaming industry have come true. I’d like to keep chasing after my dreams and have them come true, and will continue doing so as I leave behind footsteps, one step at a time.”
Kitao concluded: “Now, I still have some ways to go. Starting this Spring, I will do my best to start from the beginning! Thank you very much for everything. Furthermore, I’d like to thank you for your continued support. I’ll be making games and other stuff until the day I die!!”
In recent years, tri-Ace have primarily helped other companies develop games based on their properties. They helped Square Enix with Final Fantasy XIII-2 and worked on The Little Battlers W with Level 5. Their most recent original game was Beyond the Labyrinth, a dungeon crawler released for 3DS in 2012.
