NetEasehas been making waves throughout the gaming industry in recent years as the Chinese developer and publisher has made multiple high-profile acquisitions. The Hangzhou-based studioacquiredNo More Heroesdeveloper Grasshopper Manufacturelast year, as well as partnered with brands like Blizzard and Marvel. The studio has also seen a number of major hirings recently with names like formerYakuzacreator Toshihiro Nagoshi signing on with NetEase. Now, a recent announcement reveals veteran Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi is set to join NetEase as well.
Hiroyuki Kobayashi had been with Capcom for nearly three decades, first working with the iconic developer in 1995 as a programmer on the firstResident Evil. He would go on to serve as producer on a plethora of Capcom franchises withhighly successful titles likeResident Evil 4,Devil May Cry, andDragon’s Dogmaunder his belt. Kobayashi would also be the executive producer for a small selection of games includingResident Evil 6andMega Man 11. Now, an announcement via his Twitter account confirms Kobayashi has left Capcom for NetEase.
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Hiroyuki Kobayashi officially announced the transition to NetEase through his Twitter Friday morning, coinciding with the producer’s 50th birthday. Kobayashi revealed that he had previously left Capcom as of March 31st and would bejoining NetEase as a producermoving forward. The reveal did not share any details about upcoming projects with NetEase, simply telling fans to “stay tuned” with plans to come later. Kobayashi concluded the announcement on a positive note, stating his desire to “create more enjoyable entertainment experiences” with NetEase.
The acquisition of Hiroyuki Kobayashi adds another major player in the gaming industry to NetEase’s lineup as the company has continually expanded. Alongside the previously-mentioned Grasshopper Manufacture, NetEase has made major investments in studios like Bungie and Quantic Dream. The Chinese studio also licenses several popular games for the Chinese market likeMinecraftand Overwatch,even reportedly working with Blizzard ona canceledWorld of Warcraftmobile MMO.
Kobayashi’s departure from Capcom leaves a lasting legacy as he contributed not only to some of the developer’s most prominent games, but many popular niche franchises as well. Kobayashi worked onall threeDino Crisisgames, serving as planner for the first and producer forDino Crisis 2and3. He was also heavily involved in theSengoku Basaraseries, serving as a producer on several games and a supervisor for the anime adaptations. Kobayashi will bring nearly three decades of experience with one of Japan’s top developers to his new position at NetEase.
