The past year has been filled with ambiguity surrounding the condition of Toshihiro Nagoshi’s Nagoshi Studio, and lately, it’s been revealed that several team members, including those in key leadership positions, have departed the organization. This news surfaced after reports indicated that NetEase Games had ceased funding the studio, followed by the studio’s official website going offline and its offices being marked as “permanently closed” on Google Maps.
Recently, the studio’s co-founder and game director Daisuke Sato modified his X profile to reflect his status as an “ex-Nagoshi Studio” employee, implicitly confirming his exit. Furthermore, Nagoshi himself was featured in a Famitsu article identifying himself as an independent game creator, which has raised eyebrows. To add to this, Game*Spark, after examining the LinkedIn profiles of known Nagoshi Studio personnel, reported that at least seven additional individuals had left the company by May 31, 2026.
Kazuki Hosokawa, who oversaw the studio’s design department, publicly declared his resignation from Nagoshi Studio, noting that he had spent the last four and a half years “among great talent” and had a deeply satisfying tenure at the studio.
Meanwhile, some staff members have simply updated their professional profiles to reflect new affiliations or employment statuses. This includes lead environment designer and design department deputy head Naoki Someya, who is now associated with Lightspeed Japan, as well as technical artist Tomoharu Hosaka, who has transitioned to Capcom.
Two other former Nagoshi Studio developers began working at MIXI, the developer of Monster Strike, starting in June. These include 3D cinematic artist Hiroya Wakui and lead character artist Saizo Nagai. Additionally, VFX artist Shuichi Takahashi and character artist Toshihiro Ando have not announced new employers but now list Nagoshi Studio as their former workplace.
Despite these significant shifts, there has been no official word on the status of Gang of Dragon – the studio’s high-profile adult drama featuring Ma Dong-Seok – or the studio’s future plans. Nevertheless, it’s reassuring to see that several team members have successfully transitioned to new roles at other organizations.