Koei Tecmo’s CEO is standing down, more than 45 years after founding Koei

Koei Tecmo’s CEO is stepping down, more than 45 years after he originally co-founded Koei.

Yoichi Erikawa and his wife Keiko Erikawa founded Koei in 1978, and continued to run the company until 2009 when it merged with Tecmo to become Tecmo Koei (which would later be renamed Koei Tecmo).

When Tecmo Koei was founded, Koei COO Kenji Matsubara became CEO of the new company, but following 18 months of operating losses he resigned, with Yoichi Erikawa taking over as CEO.

Now, in a statement posted to investors, Koei Tecmo has announced that as of April 1, Hisashi Koinuma will take over as Representative Director, President and CEO, with Yoichi Erikawa stepping down to the Representative Director and Chairman role.

His wife Keiko Erikawa, who is currently serving as Representative Director and Chairman, will move to the new position of Director and Chairman Emeritus.

Koinuma joined Koei in 1994 as a programmer, and went on to direct and produce numerous games in the Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors series.

According to Koei Tecmo’s statement, the changes are being made to prepare the company for the next step in its growth.

“Our group aims to become the World’s No. 1 Digital Entertainment Company under the spirit of ‘creativity and contribution’,” it says. “We have been gradually preparing for the transition to the next generation of management through discussions in the Nomination and Compensation Committee.

“To achieve further growth and profitability for our group, we have decided to implement a new management structure starting from the fiscal year 2025.”

Koei Tecmo’s latest game was Dynasty Warriors Origins. In VGC’s Dynasty Warriors Origins review, we said it “will offer enough for fans, but won’t blow the minds of new players or series regulars,” adding: “The scale of the game’s battle and rock solid performance are impressive, but there’s little to write home about outside of that.”