Perfect World, the Chinese gaming giant behind titles like Persona 5: The Phantom X and One Punch Man: World, is undergoing significant leadership changes. Following substantial layoffs affecting over a thousand employees and underwhelming financial results, CEO Xiao Hong and co-CEO Lu Xiaoyin have resigned, according to a Game Gyroscope report on the Chinese WeChat platform. However, reports suggest they will remain on the board as directors.

Gu Liming, a long-serving Perfect World executive and former Senior Vice President, has assumed the role of CEO. This transition signals a strategic shift for the company, aiming for a revitalization and a renewed direction. The new CEO's strategies will be closely watched.

Perfect World's Recent Challenges

The company's recent performance has been marked by significant challenges. Widespread layoffs represent a major setback. Revenue from existing games has declined, with even the highly anticipated One Punch Man: World underperforming in international beta testing. The game has remained strangely inactive, with no updates on the App Store or Google Play since April.

Perfect World anticipates substantial financial losses in the first half of 2024, projecting a net loss of 160-200 million yuan, a stark contrast to the 379 million yuan profit reported last year. The gaming division is expected to bear the brunt of these losses, with a projected net loss of 140-180 million yuan.

Further compounding the situation, the middle office team has been drastically reduced from 150 employees to a mere dozen. While the situation is undeniably difficult, the upcoming update for Tower of Fantasy offers a glimmer of hope. Tower of Fantasy, Hotta Studio's ambitious open-world gacha RPG, has experienced fluctuating financial performance. Version 4.2, launching August 6, 2024, is anticipated to reinvigorate interest and potentially alleviate financial pressures.

Perfect World's newly announced game, Neverness to Everness, has generated considerable pre-registration interest. While revenue generation is still some time away (a 2025 launch is the earliest expectation), the nearly three million pre-registrations within a week globally indicate strong player anticipation for this urban-themed open-world RPG.

The success of Perfect World's turnaround under new leadership remains to be seen. The coming months will be crucial as the company focuses on key initiatives, streamlines operations, and aims to recover financially.

For more gaming news, see our coverage of Wang Yue, the open-world ARPG nearing its testing phase.