`Koei Tecmo Shuffles Leadership`

by

Summary

  • Koei Tecmo is undergoing a leadership change on April 1.
  • Hisashi Koinuma will replace co-founder Yōichi Erikawa as president and CEO.
  • Keiko Erikawa, Koei’s other co-founder, is also stepping down from her role of chairwoman and representative director, but will continue running the group’s investment portfolio.

Koei Tecmo Holdings will be welcoming a new leader, as Hisashi Koinuma is slated to assume the positions of president and CEO from Yōichi Erikawa. The leadership transition at Koei Tecmo, which has been confirmed, is scheduled for spring 2025.

One of Japan’s oldest video game development companies still in operation by 2025 is Koei Tecmo. Although Tecmo was founded first in 1967, Koei came next in 1978 by Yōichi Erikawa and his wife Keiko. Known as Kou Shibusawa, Yōichi has a rich history of creative endeavors with nearly 100 video game credits to his name. Meanwhile, his wife oversees the company’s investment portfolio, which has consistently performed better than their in-house produced games. Tecmo and Koei merged in 2008 after Tecmo declined a buyout offer from Square Enix, valued at approximately $145 million or $212 million when adjusted for inflation. Initially known as Tecmo Koei, the company name was reversed to Koei Tecmo in 2014.

The prominent Japanese entertainment corporation has revealed that it will experience a shift in leadership, as Yōichi Erikawa has announced his resignation from the positions of president and CEO. Hisashi Koinuma, an established member who joined the company (Koei) in 1994, is expected to assume these roles. Koinuma previously held the position of chief operating officer within the video game development and publishing division of the group, Koei Tecmo Games. The leadership change, disclosed after a board meeting on February 10, will occur at the start of the company’s next fiscal year, which begins on April 1.

Upcoming Koei Tecmo Games

  • Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian (2025)
  • Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (March 21, 2025)
  • Ninja Gaiden 4 (fall 2025)
  • Ninja Gaiden Ragebound (summer 2025)
  • Rise of the Ronin (PC version, March 11, 2025)

Both Koei Tecmo Co-Founders Are Taking a Backseat in Spring 2025

After Koinuma assumes control of the company, Yōichi Erikawa, aged 74, will move into the position of chairman and representative director. This leadership shift will also prompt Yōichi’s wife, Keiko Erikawa, age 76, to relinquish her current roles as chairman and representative director, transitioning instead to the title of chairman emeritus and director. In this new capacity, she will be appointed president and representative director of Koei Tecmo Corporate Finance, a forthcoming division of the company that’s being established during the reorganization process. This subsidiary, KTCF, is set to assume management of Koei Tecmo Games’ investment portfolio, which has traditionally been a key contributor to the group’s financial performance.

By spring 2025, the original co-founders of Koei are expected to step down from their management roles. This transition in leadership occurs as Koei Tecmo focuses more intensely on developing AAA (high-budget) games and gradually withdraws from the mobile gaming market.

Read More

2025-02-12 11:14