Koei Tecmo Eyes 5K Employee Workforce Amid Industry Layoffs

Koei Tecmo is continuing to hire while much of the gaming industry is cutting jobs. The Japanese publisher has grown from around 2.5K employees in 2024 to approximately 3K this year. It now aims to expand its workforce to 5K as part of its long-term growth strategy.

In an interview with Famitsu, Koei-Tecmo's chief operating officer, president and CEO, and development director of the Entertainment Division, Hisashi Koinuma, stated the company is increasing its development capacity to release games more consistently. The hiring push supports Koei Tecmo's goal of becoming one of the world's top 10 digital entertainment companies by increasing profit by 2035.

The move comes as several major publishers continue to reduce headcount. Microsoft recently cut 4.8K jobs company-wide, with about 3.2K roles affecting its gaming business, as Xbox restructures to streamline operations and prioritize key franchises.

Ubisoft has also continued downsizing, including 51 layoffs at Ubisoft Barcelona, despite the successful launch of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. The publisher has been cutting costs and restructuring its studios to address rising development budgets, longer production cycles, and broader business challenges.

Koei Tecmo Expands Hiring, Studios, and Self-Publishing

According to Koinuma, the publisher is increasing the number of development teams while continuing to recruit and train new talent. He also added that Koei Tecmo remains committed to growing its workforce to 5K over time.

The company welcomed 193 new graduates in Japan in 2026. That pushed its total workforce to around 3K employees. Alongside hiring, Koei Tecmo is investing in internal training to improve development quality.

The publisher currently operates six development brands: Omega Force, Team Ninja, Gust, Kou Shibusawa, Midas, and Ruby Party. It also has the AAA Games Studio, established in 2024. Koinuma pointed out that the branding structure helps each team maintain its identity while making room for new brands in the future.

Koei Tecmo is also expanding its physical footprint. Its Yokohama Symphostage office began operations this year and will eventually house about 900 employees. The company has additionally built new employee dormitories and company housing.

In that context, Koinuma stated that more office space is already being considered as its Kyoto location nears capacity.

Long-Term Growth Extends Beyond Hiring

Koei Tecmo is also taking more publishing work in-house. Nioh 3 is the first major entry in the series to be globally self-published instead of relying on Sony. Koinuma indicated that the company wants to build the capability to handle global publishing internally whenever possible, while continuing partnerships where they benefit both sides.

He also pointed to investments in quality assurance (QA), digital distribution, and long-term game support through DLC. As reported by Koinuma, the company is building the infrastructure needed to release games more regularly.

By investing in talent, infrastructure, and in-house publishing, Koei Tecmo is positioning itself for sustained growth, betting on expansion as much of the games industry continues to downsize.

Disclaimer: Sources used have been machine-translated from Japanese.