Koei Tecmo president and CEO Hisashi Koinuma (who succeeded founder Yoichi Erikawa last year), recently chatted with Famitsu about the company’s impressive growth over the past few years.
With ambitions to expand its development teams and diversify its game releases, Koei Tecmo bolstered its staff from 2,500 to 2,850 individuals between 2024 and 2025. This year alone, the company has added another 193 new team members in Japan, pushing its total workforce past the 3,000 mark.
In 2024, Koei Tecmo set a goal to grow to a “5,000-strong workforce” as part of its mid-term business plan. According to Koinuma, the company remains dedicated to this objective, with continuous hiring and internal training programs aimed at nurturing new talent.
Presently, Koei Tecmo’s game development is managed through six separate brands, including prominent teams like Team NINJA, Omega Force, and Gust, as well as a newly established AAA Studio. The company is working to create an infrastructure that allows each division to consistently deliver new titles. Koinuma also expressed interest in launching additional brands to explore fresh directions for its games, noting that existing brands already cater to dedicated fanbases expecting specific genres and franchises.
Although Koinuma kept the specifics of the potential new brand under wraps, he invited fans to stay tuned for future updates.
Another significant development is Koei Tecmo’s shift toward handling global publishing of its games internally whenever possible. Koinuma explained that this strategy led to the company self-publishing Nioh 3, a series that was previously published by Sony. This approach brought clear benefits, such as the ability to release the game simultaneously on PC, making it the fastest-selling title in the franchise. While partnerships will still be considered when advantageous, Koinuma believes Koei Tecmo should strive to build a self-sufficient structure capable of managing all aspects of game publishing.