Core Viewpoint - The recent internal announcement regarding the suspension of three key executives at Zhixing Star Communication has brought significant attention to the company, indicating potential management instability and operational challenges [1][3]. Management Changes - On October 10, Zhixing Star Communication announced the suspension of President Zhang Lei and the dismissal of two other executives, Zhang Jinxin and Liu Yuanchang, with their responsibilities temporarily taken over by a team from the parent company, Zhongwen Media [3]. - The company stated that operations remain normal and that the suspension of Zhang Lei was due to "major mistakes," with further investigations ongoing [3][10]. - This follows a previous management change in September, where Vice President Peng Xin resigned for personal reasons [3]. Company Background - Founded in 2008, Zhixing Star Communication is a mobile game developer and operator known for its international market focus, with notable successes including the game "Happy Farmer" [5]. - The company gained significant investment from Tencent and Innovation Works in 2010 and launched the international distribution platform elex [5][6]. - In 2015, the company was acquired by Zhongwen Media for a total value of 2.66 billion yuan, with a premium of 28 times [6]. Performance Decline - Zhixing Star Communication has experienced a continuous decline in performance, with revenue dropping from 4.738 billion yuan in 2016 to 1.236 billion yuan in 2024, and net profit halving from 849 million yuan to 356 million yuan during the same period [8]. - The latest half-year report for 2025 shows a revenue of 551 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 20.7%, and a net profit of 111 million yuan, down 47.15% [8]. Product Dependency and Market Challenges - The company remains heavily reliant on its once-popular game "Clash of Kings," which has seen a decline in both revenue and user engagement [9]. - In the first half of 2025, "Clash of Kings" generated a monthly revenue of 39.06 million yuan, down from 43.70 million yuan the previous year, with paying users decreasing from 54,900 to 40,700 [9]. - Despite efforts to explore new product directions and strategies, including the launch of several new games, the performance of these products has been underwhelming [9][10]. Future Outlook - The company acknowledges the need to develop new competitive products as its previous hits reach the end of their lifecycle, emphasizing ongoing projects and a commitment to innovation in game development [10].