CyberConnect2 VP Details Self-Publishing Challenges and .hack//Z.E.R.O.
The interview provides the clearest look yet at how CyberConnect2 is balancing its legacy as a licensed-game developer with a new self-publishing strategy, anchored by a long-dormant franchise.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
In an interview at Anime Expo 2026, CyberConnect2 vice-president Taichirō Miyazaki discussed the studio's move into self-publishing, the upcoming .hack//Z.E.R.O. as its first self-published entry in the series, and the status of two other C5 initiative titles, Cecile and Tokyo Ogre Gate.
CyberConnect2 vice-president Taichirō Miyazaki sat down with Anime News Network at Anime Expo 2026 to discuss the studio's transition into self-publishing, a path it began with the Fuga: Melodies of Steel trilogy. The next major test is .hack//Z.E.R.O., the first .hack game to be self-published by CyberConnect2 with Bandai Namco Entertainment's permission. Miyazaki said the rights to the .hack franchise are mostly held by Bandai Namco, but the studio's long relationship and the success of its self-publishing experiment helped secure approval.
Miyazaki also addressed the challenges of handling release dates, regional pricing, and storefront rules without a publisher's support, calling the experience eye-opening. On the C5 initiative, he confirmed that Cecile is still in development, though he did not offer a timeline. Tokyo Ogre Gate, the other announced title, was mentioned as underway but without specifics.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.