Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi has announced his departure from Capcom after 27 years. To mark his 50th birthday he’ll be filling the same roll over at the Chinese video game giant NetEase.
Kobayashi started out as a programmer on the Resident Evil series in the ’90s and took up producer roles for series like Dino Crisis, Sengoku Basara and Devil May Cry. He’s also credited as a producer on the Dragon’s Dogma series and in more recent times was executive producer on Mega Man 11. He shared his latest career move via social media:
Today, Aug. 12th is my 50th birthday. As such, I would like to share something very special with everyone: After serving 27 years with gratitude, I have departed from Capcom on March 31st, 2022, and will be officially joining NetEase Games as a producer. Detail plans will be shared later so please stay tuned. I will strive to continuously create more enjoyable entertainment experiences for everyone at this new company, this new era. Thank you for the continued support. Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Kobayashi’s move follows a string of similar stories in recent times. NetEase last year acquired Suda51’s studio, Grasshopper Manufacture. The Monkey Ball and Yakuza creator Toshihori Nagoshi has also founded a new studio under NetEase.
Have you played any of the games Hiroyuki Kobayashi was involved with over the years? Leave a comment down below.
