Hiroshi Iuchi's Canceled 'UBUSUNA' Resumes Production With Investor
The revival shows how a creator's retention of intellectual property rights can keep a project alive after a studio departure, even after a public cancellation announcement.
Reporting from 1 source: Automaton.
On July 8, Hiroshi Iuchi announced that his shooting game 'UBUSUNA' is moving toward resuming production with investment from another company. The project was reported canceled in May after Iuchi left M2. Designer Kusasa Wa proposed outside investment, and discussions had already begun before the public cancellation. Iuchi holds the rights to the concept and system specifications, so resources created at M2 cannot be used.
The resurrection of 'UBUSUNA' places the project back in the hands of its original creator, Hiroshi Iuchi, after M2's cancellation in May. Designer Kusasa Wa, who worked on the game's graphics, proposed seeking outside investment shortly after the cancellation was decided in late 2025. By the time M2 publicly announced the project's end on May 24, Iuchi was already in talks with potential investors. Iuchi has apologized for the timing of the announcement, and the staff are now working toward delivery. The game, which Iuchi has described as easier to play than his 2001 classic Ikaruga, faces a path that Iuchi himself admits is uncertain.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.