Bandai Namco, a prominent Japanese game publisher, is reportedly pushing 15% of its Tokyo staff to resign amidst corporate restructuring. Despite the recent success of Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, which sold over 3 million units in just 24 hours, the company has decided to take drastic measures that include layoffs and project cancellations.
Projects Halted as Company Faces Internal Challenges
According to Bloomberg (thanks Game Developer), Bandai Namco has asked around 200 employees from its Tokyo office to voluntarily resign. This move seems to be a response to financial struggles in their online division, which recently posted a net loss of ¥8.2 billion (approximately $51.35 million). Employees forced into resignation reportedly had their work responsibilities removed, with almost 100 of them already leaving the company.
Bloomberg also revealed that Bandai Namco has canceled at least two major projects, including collaborations with Nintendo, and upcoming Dragon Ball and One Piece games. This decision has caused concern within the gaming community, especially given the booming Japanese game market, projected to grow annually by 6.66% until 2029.
The company’s struggles are attributed to the underperformance of live-service games such as Blue Protocol and Gundam Evolution. Despite these challenges, Bandai Namco remains a key player in the gaming industry, with a stronghold in single-player games that remain popular among various age groups.
