Last week was a pretty big one for Mega Man fans, as we got several announcements out of Capcom‘s anniversary live stream, including the confirmation of Mega Man 11 for late 2018. But despite everything that’s on the way, fans still wouldn’t mind a little more – like a welcome return of earlier games in the franchise.
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Speaking with Game Informer during their month of coverage on the Mega Man franchise, Mega Man 11 game director Koji Oda noted that, although the publisher isn’t ready to confirm any new projects just yet, it’s very well aware of the demand. “I’m one of those people who thinks that actions speak louder than words,” says Oda. “I could say all kinds of things, but at the end of the day, I’d like fans to see that we’re taking it seriously by starting to resurrect the brand in the way that we are and to continue to prove ourselves moving forward. I love reading survey data. It’s a great pastime, and I’m well aware that there is a voice out there that wants something new for games like Mega Man Legends and Battle Network.”
So you probably shouldn’t hold your breath for new games anytime soon, as the team is hard at work on 11. But it’s nice to know they’re aware of where fan demand lies.
And the future of Mega Man is bright, despite the creative leader behind the franchise, Keiji Inafune, breaking away to work on his own things. “I still feel like Mega Man is one of the important pillars of the company,” says Mega Man 11 director Koji Oda. “At the end of the day, we asked ourselves, ‘What does Capcom need to do for its fans? Should we act like Mega Man is a thing of the past? Should we toss him aside?’ I felt like that would be a foolish gesture. Inafune-san was a very important component to making Mega Man a success, but Mega Man is such a treasure to the company that it would be a waste to let him go because someone left.”
Mega Man 11 will release in late 2018 for Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
