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 is getting a new boss, with Hisashi Koinuma being set to replace Yōichi Erikawa in the roles of president and chief executive officer. The newly confirmed leadership transition at Koei Tecmo is planned to take place in spring 2025.
Koei Tecmo is one of the oldest Japanese video game developers that are still operational as of 2025. While Tecmo was founded in 1967, Koei was established in 1978 by Yōichi Erikawa and his wife, Keiko. Yōichi—also known as Kou Shibusawa—has long pursued creative projects and has nearly 100 video game credits to his name, whereas his wife manages the company’s investment portfolio, which has historically outperformed the group’s internally produced games. Koei merged with Tecmo in 2008, after the latter rejected Square Enix’s buyout proposal, valued at the equivalent of $145 million—or $212 million, when accounting for inflation. The merged entity initially operated as Tecmo Koei until the names were reversed in 2014.
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The Japanese entertainment giant is now set to undergo a leadership change, having just announced that Yōichi Erikawa will soon step down from his roles as president and CEO, with Hisashi Koinuma being lined up to replace him. Koinuma is a company veteran who joined Koei in 1994 and has previously served as the chief operating officer of the group’s video game development and publishing division, Koei Tecmo Games. The leadership transition, announced following a February 10 board of directors meeting, will take place at the beginning of the company’s next fiscal year, which kicks off 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
Once Koinuma takes the reins of the company, Yōichi Erikawa, 74, will transition to the role of chairman and representative director. The leadership change will also see Keiko Erikawa, 76, step down from her current role of chairman and representative director to chairman emeritus and director. She will then be appointed as president and representative director of Koei Tecmo Corporate Finance, a new branch of the company that’s set to be established as part of the reorganization. KTCF will take over the management of Koei Tecmo Games’ investment portfolio, which has historically been the largest contributor to the group’s bottom line.
Both Koei co-founders are hence effectively set to take a backseat in running the company come spring 2025. The leadership change comes at a time when Koei Tecmo is doubling down on AAA titles and pivoting away from the mobile gaming market.
Koei Tecmo
- Date Founded
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April 1, 2009
- Headquarters
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Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan