Xin Lang Cai Jing·2025-10-28 11:58Core Insights - A significant leadership shakeup is occurring at NetEase Games, with multiple high-ranking executives departing, indicating unprecedented organizational changes within the company [1][2][4][6] Group 1: Executive Departures - Li Kaiming, head of NetEase Interactive Entertainment's 10th division, announced his departure for personal career development, marking him as the third senior executive to leave this year [1][2] - Other notable departures include Lin Yunfeng, president of the Dreamland division, and Xuanzi, producer of "World Beyond," suggesting a trend of restructuring similar to last year's disbandment of the Tianxia division [2][4] - The departures reflect a broader trend of leadership changes, particularly among executives overseeing key business areas such as competitive gaming, anime, and strategy games [2][6] Group 2: Organizational Changes - The leadership changes are centered in the Guangzhou headquarters, which has historically been the cradle of NetEase's gaming empire, indicating a potential shift in focus towards the Hangzhou region [4][7][16] - The company is reportedly consolidating its operations in Hangzhou, where the LeiHuo division has seen significant success, contributing approximately 50% to NetEase's total gaming revenue [13][15] - The restructuring aims to inject new energy into the organization by replacing long-standing executives with younger leaders who can better connect with the new generation of players [17][22] Group 3: Performance and Challenges - The Guangzhou divisions have faced significant setbacks, including the failure of the martial arts open-world game "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," which suffered a nearly 80% user attrition rate post-launch [9][10] - The 10th division also faced challenges, with the cancellation of the single-player project "Ten Thousand People Long Song: Three Kingdoms" after four years of development due to poor market feedback [11] - In contrast, the Hangzhou operations have thrived, with successful titles like "Nirvana in Fire Mobile" and "Eternal Return" establishing a strong market presence and contributing to the company's growth [12][13] Group 4: Strategic Shifts - The leadership changes reflect a strategic pivot from product-driven approaches to data-driven methodologies, emphasizing user profiling, monetization models, and predictive analytics in game development [21][22] - The company is focusing on a dual strategy of "data + rhythm" to enhance resource efficiency and mitigate the impact of individual project failures on overall business performance [22] - This shift is expected to lead to a more structured approach to game development, ensuring that new projects are backed by comprehensive market analysis and clear commercialization paths [21][22]