"Visions of Mana Director Joins Square Enix from NetEase"

In a surprising turn of events, Ryosuke Yoshida, the acclaimed director behind Visions of Mana, has announced his departure from NetEase and his subsequent move to Square Enix. This news broke via a tweet from Yoshida's personal Twitter (X) account on December 2, leaving fans and industry insiders eager for more details.

Ryosuke Yoshida Leaves NetEase

Role in Square Enix Uncertain

Ryosuke Yoshida, who also boasts a background as a game designer at Capcom, played a pivotal role at Ouka Studios, a subsidiary of NetEase. His efforts were instrumental in the development of Visions of Mana, the latest entry in the beloved Mana series. Collaborating with talents from Capcom and Bandai Namco, the team successfully launched the game with enhanced and upgraded graphics on August 30, 2024. Following the game's release, Yoshida made his departure from Ouka Studios public.

In the same tweet, Yoshida expressed his excitement about joining Square Enix in December. However, specifics regarding his future projects or contributions at Square Enix remain under wraps, leaving fans curious about what's next for this talented director.

NetEase Scaling Down Japanese Investments

Yoshida's move comes amidst reports that NetEase is scaling back its investments in Japanese studios. A Bloomberg article dated August 30 highlighted that both NetEase and its competitor Tencent have been reassessing their strategies following the release of several successful games through Japanese studios. Ouka Studios, where Yoshida worked, has felt the impact of this shift, with NetEase significantly reducing its workforce in Tokyo to a skeleton crew.

This strategic pivot by NetEase and Tencent is in anticipation of a resurgence in the Chinese gaming market. The reallocation of resources, including funding and manpower, is aimed at capitalizing on this potential growth. The success of games like Black Myth: Wukong, which has clinched awards such as Best Visual Design and Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards, underscores this trend.

Back in 2020, both NetEase and Tencent ventured into Japan as a response to the stagnating Chinese gaming market. However, tensions have arisen between these gaming giants and smaller Japanese developers. The larger companies aim to expand franchises globally, whereas Japanese developers prioritize retaining control over their intellectual properties (IPs).

Despite these shifts, neither NetEase nor Tencent plans to completely withdraw from Japan, given their established partnerships with major players like Capcom and Bandai Namco. Instead, they are adopting a more cautious approach to minimize losses while gearing up for a strong return in the Chinese gaming sector.