Comcept, the studio formed and once headed by storied former Capcom producer Keiji Inafune, has officially closed its doors. The news was first reported on Japanese website Gamebiz, which posted a reproduction of the official closure announcement, which was then translated by Gematsu.
Comcept was formed in 2010 by Keiji Inafune, who had left Capcom after enduring a string of high-profile cancellations, including Mega Man Legends 3. Comcept operated primarily as a planning company, working together with other developers to bring game ideas to market. The company was instrumental in the creation of a variety of titles, including Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, Soul Sacrifice, and ReCore. By far its most well-known title was Mighty No. 9, a crowdfunded attempt to modernize and revive the platforming conventions of the classic Mega Man games that wound up fraught with controversy and production issues, releasing to a mixed reception.
After the failure of a subsequent Kickstarter for the adventure game Red Ash, the cancellation of 3DS action title Kaio: King of Pirates, and the speedy end-of-service for its online mobile game Dragon & Colonies, Comcept was acquired by prominent Japanese game developer Level-5 and renamed Level-5 Comcept.
Over time, Level-5 Comcept morphed into an Osaka-based studio providing development support for Level-5’s titles. Keiji Inafune departed the studio in early 2025, with the studio being renamed the Level-5 Osaka Office. While Comcept has been more or less dead since the renaming, the official dissolution comes after a shareholder vote, with all of Comcept’s assets being officially transferred to ownership by Level-5.
