Update: Capcom producer Matt Walker has claimed Hideaki Itsuno's desire to leave the studio after DmC: Devil May Cry had "nothing to do" with the game itself.
Others also pointed to an interview last year in which Itsuno said the game was "one of my favorite Devil May Cry games".
Walker didn't elaborate on why Itsuno would've wanted to leave Capcom, and his comments contradict those of Dante voice actor Reuben Langdon, which you can read about in the story below. No doubt other developers close to Itsuno, or perhaps Itsuno himself, will fill in the blanks at some point.
Original story:
Hideaki Itsuno, director of the Devil May Cry series, wanted to resign from Capcom after DmC: Devil May Cry, according to the voice and motion capture actor for Dante.
DmC: Devil May Cry released in 2013, five years after Devil May Cry 4. It was, as our review at the time said, a great game, but it was very different to anything else in the series. It was made by a different developer—Ninja Theory—and featured a redesigned Dante.
In an interview with YouTube channel Toy Bounty Hunters, picked up by Game Fragger, actor Reuben Langdon claimed that Itsuno was "not happy" with the change of direction, and was "ready to leave Capcom" following its release.
"I think he put in his resignation and then they said 'wait, you’re a valuable guy, we don’t want you to leave. What can make you stay?'”
Itsuno's "wishlist" included getting control of the Devil May Cry series for a new game, Langdon said.
"Hats off to him for standing up and hats off for Capcom for going all out. They literally gave him everything he requested and wanted for this game, and it’s paying off," he said, in a reference to the recently-released Devil May Cry 5, which is brilliant.
Langdon himself didn't feature in DmC: Devil May Cry, but voiced Dante in Devil May Cry 3, 4 and 5.
You can listen to the interview below.