Legendary Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi leaves studio for NetEase

Pastures new for veteran producer

Veteran Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi has announced that they have left the Resident Evil and Street Fighter developer to take a new role at the Chinese conglomerate NetEase. Kobayashi shared the news with friends, fans, and followers on Twitter earlier today, which just so happens to be the producer’s 50th birthday.

“I would like to share something very special with everyone,” began Kobayashi. “After serving 27 years with gratitude, I have departed from Capcom on March 31st and will officially be joining NetEase Games as a producer. I will strive to continuously create more enjoyable entertainment experiences for everyone at this new company, in this new era. Thank you for your continued support.”

In the near-three decades spent with Capcom, Kobayashi has worked alongside some of the company’s most successful and recognizable brands. Kobayashi started out as a key coder for the groundbreaking survival horror title Resident Evil, with the following years seeing him rise through Capcom’s ranks as a planner, associate producer, and eventually executive producer on titles such as Dino Crisis, killer7, Devil May Cry, and the Sengoku Basara franchise.

Kobayashi’s move to NetEase Games can be seen as another step in the studio’s desire to become a bigger play both within the games industry and on the global stage. NetEase already works as a China-based partner to Activision Blizzard, and recently announced the opening of its first U.S.-based studio, Jackalope Games. NetEase Games has been searching for notable staff members over the past year, which included courting Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi. Nagoshi now operates his own studio as a NetEase subsidiary.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s. Former Saturday Night Slam Master. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse