Let It Die: Inferno Developers Refuse to Play It Safe

At TGS 2025, Let It Die: Inferno was announced, continuing a legacy that began in 2017. As the latest chapter in the long-running Let It Die franchise, Inferno builds on years of unpredictable gameplay, oddball humour and a world that plays by its own rules.

For the team behind Inferno, the chance to revisit these foundations using the latest console technology opened new doors, both visually and creatively. The developers say hardware advances have allowed them to fully realize the immersive, hellish environments and intricately detailed character designs they once had to scale back. Now, their original vision aligns more closely with what players experience on screen.

Inferno isn’t content to simply repeat what came before. Drawing on lessons from Let It Die and its PvP-focused follow-up, Deathverse, the team set out to blend their favourite elements from each title while creating a distinct visual identity.

CGMagazine spoke with the developers, Game Director Hideyuki Shin, and Uncle Death himself to explore what sets this new entry apart, and why fans of the franchise should be excited to step through the hellgates in Let It Die: Inferno.

Let It Die has been a franchise that has undergone numerous iterations. What was the team’s goal with Inferno?

Hideyuki Shin: We are extremely happy that Let It Die has been such a long-running franchise and that it’s been so beloved. That brings me great joy. But at the same time, times change — hardware changes, technology changes. So our biggest goal was to create a new Let It Die that keeps up with those changes and still feels fresh. 

When you began Let It Die: Inferno, what were the key concepts you wanted to bring to the new installment? And looking at the finished game, how close do you feel you came to your original vision?

Hideyuki Shin: From the start, we wanted to preserve the best parts of the original Let It Die — especially its unique world. With Deathverse, the previous game, we focused heavily on PvP, and we learned a lot from that. For Inferno, we wanted to carry forward the strengths of both titles, combining them into something new. 

I’d like to discuss the monster designs. In the first Let It Die, many of the creatures featured gritty, more realistic designs. But looking at Let It Die: Inferno, they’re much more exaggerated, almost cartoonish. At what point in development did you decide to move in this different visual direction?

Hideyuki Shin: In the previous game, we had the Yotsuyama Group as the main antagonists. They created enemies that looked like biological weapons, so the designs leaned closer to realism. This time, the theme is “the Hole to Hell.” Within that setting, mysterious forces are at work, fusing together organic and inorganic matter. That gave us the freedom to make enemies that look much more outlandish — more surreal, even cartoonish in a way. [filled from JP transcript]

You mentioned earlier that the original Let It Die was on the previous generation of consoles, and at the time, it was already starting to show its age. With Inferno being built for the latest hardware, what did that allow you to do this time around that you couldn’t do before?

Hideyuki Shin: First of all, we’re really happy to be developing on new hardware. With the old consoles, no matter how much we tried, there were always limitations — the visuals could get blurry, or certain designs would look rough at specific angles. We just couldn’t go further back then. But now, with the latest consoles, we’ve been able to bring our version of Hell to life in the way we truly imagined it. Weapon designs, character details, the environments — everything looks exactly as we envisioned. That’s been very exciting. 

I’ve played the past two installments, and it felt like the lore and history shifted between them. What about Let It Die: Inferno? How does its story connect to the previous games?

Hideyuki Shin: It’s absolutely connected. The Let It Die name itself has always been tied to Uncle Death — he’s the thread that runs through all of it. Timeline-wise, Let It Die was the beginning. Then Deathverse took place a little further in the future. Inferno continues even further ahead, into the next era. 

Uncle Death: So when you interact with certain characters in Inferno, you’ll be able to see what happened to them since the earlier games. Those connections are deliberate, and long-time fans will recognize the continuity.

For players who may have tried Let It Die or Deathverse but stopped along the way, what’s your pitch to bring them back for Inferno?

Hideyuki Shin: With both Let It Die and Deathverse, we heard from players that they enjoyed them, but also that they were too difficult. We took that feedback seriously — and then made the new game even harder. [laughs] We wanted to create something with real bite, something players could really sink their teeth into. 

Uncle Death: But beyond that, in today’s industry, there are so many serious games. When you only play serious games, it can get dull. That’s why we wanted to make something completely crazy — in the best way possible. If players come to Inferno and call it crazy, that’s actually the highest compliment we could hope for. 

One last question: How does Uncle Death fit into the story this time? Or is that something you’re keeping secret until release?

Hideyuki Shin: We can’t reveal the details yet, but I can say that Uncle Death plays a very important role. He’s always been central to this universe, and that hasn’t changed.

Thank you both for your time.

Hideyuki Shin: Thank you.

Uncle Death: Thank you, thank you.