Would you believe it’s been 35 years since Arc System Works was founded? Crazy, right? It feels like it was only yesterday that we were brawling and beating up bad guys in Double Dragon on our SEGA Master System. Arc System Works CEO Minoru Kidooka certainly feels the same, as he has released a statement celebrating their 35th anniversary by thanking fans and potentially teasing what’s to come next. 

In a message published on the studio’s official site, Arc System Works CEO Minoru Kidooka thanked the fans who have supported them over the years while also hinting at the studio’s future. 

Arc System Works Co., Ltd. (originally established as Arc Co., Ltd.) was founded in 1988 as a video game development company, later going on to expand our business to include other areas such as publishing. Thanks to all of the companies and creators we’ve had the pleasure of working with, all of our employees, and most of all the players, these 35 years have gone by in a flash.

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to grow along with all of you each step of the way as games have evolved over time.

Continued support from our fans all over the world is what has brought Arc System Works where we are today.

Especially with the fighting game genre, I feel truly grateful to have been a part of building a community that brings people from all over the world together across the borders of regions and language.

As we approach the end of three years of the pandemic (COVID-19), I hope to continue moving forward with the fans even more closely than before.

As the gaming environment continues to develop at a rapid pace, I look to exceed the expectations of the players now more than ever.
I want to create games that will amaze and excite them.

Moreover, I’d like to explore other genres in addition to fighting games, to really show off everything we’ve cultivated so far.

I’ll put everything I have into continuing our “revolution” going forward. Thank you for your continued support.

This isn’t the only thing that was put out for fans either, as the studio also published an in-depth timeline of their history, going over every single release they’ve published. You can view that timeline here: History of Arc.

It’ll be interesting to see what the team comes up with next, and as a fan myself, I know I’m eager to see what they can do outside the fighting genre. For now, we’ll have to look forward to the next Guilty Gear Strive DLC character, which is set to come out later this month.