Yoshinori Ono announces departure from Capcom after almost 27 years with the company
Ono leaves behind a gigantic legacy working with the fighting game community
Yoshinori Ono has announced that he'll be leaving Capcom this summer after nearly 27 years of being with the company. This also means that he'll be resigning his position as a Capcom brand manager.
"And now, after serving almost 30 years at Capcom, I am leaving the company in this summer," said Ono in his released statement. "This means that I will resign my position as the brand manager for Capcom's various titles including Street Fighter."
Yoshinori Ono joined Capcom back in April 1994, and was part of the Sound Engineer of Development team Department 1. Since joining Capcom, Ono had worked on over 30 titles with the company, including Street Fighter Alpha 3, Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, Street Fighter X Tekken, Darkstalkers Resurrection, Street Fighter 5 and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
For many gamers, Ono's most notable accomplishment was helping to bring about a fighting game resurgence back in 2008 and 2009 with the arcade and console releases of Street Fighter 4.
While other developers had continued to provide new entries in their franchises, after Street Fighter 4, a number of fighting games would hit levels they hadn't seen in decades. Gamers all over the world had either found this passion for the first time, or had it reignited in them.
Known for his high energy and trademark Blanka toy, Ono would often do autograph sessions, and meet and greets at fighting game community events, because he'd become a beloved figure in our scene for his many accomplishments.
Here's Ono's statement about him his plans to leave Capcom this summer.
Yoshinori Ono's message
Dear Street Fighter series' players & Fighting Game Community members
There have been many unexpected events occurred globally in 2020. Especially the COVID-19 has been significantly affecting many people's life and health all over the world. I'm praying that all of you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.
Since Capcom Cup in 2013, the Capcom Pro Tour has become an annual event because of the continued tremendous support from the players and Fighting Game Community members in the world.
We at Capcom had many internal discussions about the format for the CPT 2020. It took a long time for us to decide the format for this year, but we believe that conducting the event itself would repay those who has been supporting the CPT, regardless of what the format is.
Needless to say, I understand there has been some criticism about this particular format. However, I'm fully convinced that it is important to shed light on various hopes by keeping the event even in this way.
Additionally, I'm extremely grateful that so many players and Fighting Game Community members and its related individuals have been supporting us so that we can make the CPT happen this year.
I've been with the Street Fighter brand for a long time, experiencing good times, bad times, and even non-existent times. My heart is filled with appreciation to those players who've been giving warm and kind support on the brand especially little over the past decade or so as all the activities on the Street Fighter brand regained sunshine and grew its liveliness.
And now, after serving almost 30 years at Capcom, I am leaving the company in this summer. This means that I will resign my position as the brand manager for Capcom's various titles including Street Fighter.
Capcom staff in the new generation will continue taking care of the Street Fighter brand and leading the World Warriors. And, I do believe that they will continue making Street Fighter extraordinary. I will look forward to seeing the new Street Fighter brand and how it's going to be expanded, as just one of regular gamers next time around.
I've been trying to contact those whom I've gotten to work with in the past about my resignation. However, it's quite difficult to reach out to all of people I've associated with throughout my career for almost three decades, so I'd like to humbly ask your kind understanding. When the opportunity comes, I'd like to extend warm greetings and my appreciation to those individuals and companies I've had a chance to work with.
Again, to many players, FGC and its operation staff, and all of Street Fighter fans, thank you so much for your continued support. I regret that I as the Street Fighter series executive producer, wasn't able to do "SHORYUKEN" together with you all at each event in 2020, so please allow me to shout as my closing statement in this message to you.
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SHORYUKEN!
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Photo source: Street Fighter YouTube channel.
