Interview with Hiroaki Yura
At the helm of Area 35, Hiroaki Yura is far more than just the director and producer of Tiny Metal 2. A true multidisciplinary artist with a background spanning music, film, and production, he brings a rare sensitivity to his projects, where storytelling and emotion matter just as much as game design. A deeply memorable encounter, marked not only by the richness of his insights, but also by his exceptional kindness, which left a lasting impression on our discussion around this highly anticipated sequel.
"We finally have the opportunity to bring many of the ideas we had to put aside in Tiny Metal."
If you had to pitch Tiny Metal 2 in one sentence, what would it be?
Hiroaki YuraTiny Metal 2 is a Japanese arcade-style war game.
What sparked the idea for the sequel, and how did that idea evolve during development?
Hiroaki YuraThe sequel was born from a long list of ideas we already had during the development of Tiny Metal. At the time, we simply didn't have the resources or the time to implement many of the features we wanted. With Tiny Metal 2, we finally had the opportunity to bring those ideas to life. Of course, as development progressed, those ideas evolved, but overall we've been able to implement many of the things we originally envisioned, such as naval units and couch co-op. There are also additional features we plan to announce later, but it's still too early to talk about them.
"One of our biggest priorities was to fully embrace our Japanese identity."
You've introduced naval battles, co-op, improved visuals, and more. Which changes were the highest priority for you, and why?
Hiroaki YuraOur main priority was to make sure this game truly deserves to be called Tiny Metal 2. With the first game, we released Full Metal Rumble and two DLCs, but those weren't full sequels. We couldn't justify calling them "2" because the visual upgrades and system changes weren't substantial enough. This time, we wanted to go much further. One of our biggest priorities was to fully embrace our Japanese identity. We are a Japanese studio, and I also run a film company that worked on Gundam last year. We leveraged that experience to create high-quality cinematics and a strong anime-inspired cel-shaded visual style. Storytelling, visuals, and presentation were essential priorities for us.
Tiny Metal 2 feels more refined than the first game. What player feedback influenced those improvements the most?
Hiroaki YuraThe biggest feedback we received concerned the user interface. On Tiny Metal, we didn't have a dedicated UI or UX designer, and it showed. Since then, an excellent UI/UX designer has joined our team and has been working with us for several years. The improvements in this area are very noticeable in Tiny Metal 2.
"I learned by making mistakes, getting hurt, and constantly adjusting my approach."
You've worked across music, production, and game development. How has that diverse background shaped your leadership at Area 35?
Hiroaki YuraI was never formally taught how to produce projects. I learned by making mistakes, getting hurt, and constantly adjusting my approach. That hasn't really changed over time. My roots are in music – I was a violinist – and many of my values and decisions come from that background. My experience as a performer strongly influences how I approach creative decisions. That's why elements like art direction, cinematics, voice acting, and performances are extremely important to me, not just pure game design.
Playing the violin requires discipline and precision. How does that mindset translate into game development?
Hiroaki YuraI don't believe in talent. Talent alone doesn't mean anything. What truly matters is practice, discipline, and continuous learning. At Area 35, we treat the company almost like a school. When young developers join us, they study, they work hard, and they are properly trained. We don't believe in shortcuts. Learning and effort are fundamental values for us.
"I personally love user-generated content but we won't be including a map editor."
Was there a feature you loved in concept but had to cut from Tiny Metal 2?
Hiroaki YuraThis is actually something I'll share exclusively with Gamatomic. We won't be including a map editor. I personally love user-generated content, but the reality is that many platforms – including ones like Nintendo – have very strict rules regarding it. Moderating inappropriate iconography or offensive content is extremely difficult, especially to protect younger audiences. Given those constraints and the limited development time, implementing a map editor simply wasn't realistic.
When the game launches, which keywords do you hope players will immediately associate with Tiny Metal 2?
Hiroaki YuraCouch co-op, Advance Wars-style gameplay, and strong cinematics.
"We do want to resonate with French players specifically."
Strategy games often balance depth and accessibility. How did you approach that balance?
Hiroaki YuraI'm not sure we've fully achieved it yet, but we're planning extensive testing with public players, not just internal QA. We want to hear as many opinions as possible. Some of our senior developers previously worked at companies like Blizzard, which is known for months of testing before release. We're planning to adopt a very similar approach.
The Paris Games Week demo was customized for the event. Is local adaptation part of Area 35's philosophy?
Hiroaki YuraAbsolutely. Every country and culture is different, and that's a good thing. We want to appeal properly to each market, and localization is the minimum we can do. While we can't change the core story for each region, we do want to resonate with French players specifically. Japanese and French cultures share a deep respect for art and culture, which creates a strong affinity. We want to highlight that connection through our cinematics, anime-inspired visuals, and storytelling.
"Hideo Kojima has supported our work in the past."
Outside of Area 35, what games are you currently playing or would recommend?
Hiroaki YuraI'm currently playing Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. We deeply respect Hideo Kojima. He has supported our work in the past – when we released Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, he didn't just share our poster, he actually wrote a review on Twitter. We're extremely grateful for that. Many people on our team are also playing Hades II. I still need to finish Death Stranding 2 before starting it. I loved Hades. For strategy fans, I strongly recommend Into The Breach. It's an incredible game – I can't stop playing it.
Finally, just for fun: if you were commanding your own army in Tiny Metal 2, which unit would be your favorite?
Hiroaki YuraIf I'm allowed to choose two, it would be the Heavy Metal and the Fortress. The Heavy Metal is extremely versatile and durable, perfect for pushing the front lines. The Fortress, on the other hand, is a real game-ender – and it's incredibly fun to use.
