Summary
For as much fun as video games are — and trust us, they are a lot of fun — the industry can be quite unforgiving and sometimes downright frustrating. What with theconstant amount of layoffs,toxic discourseanddiscussions about value or lack thereof. But every now and again, some positive news comes around that’s truly worth celebrating.
EnterFromSoftware, the Japanese video game publisher and developer behind the likes ofArmored CoreandElden Ring, among manyother critically acclaimed titles. Beginning next year,FromSoftware is increasing its average annual salaries.
Positive News That Is Worth Celebrating
According to a press release on FromSoftware’s website, president Hidetaka Miyazaki has announced that beginning April 2025, current FromSoft employees will see an average annual salary increase of 11.8%. That’s not all, either. For new graduates, their salary will also get a bump.
Per the press release, the new graduate salary will be increased from 260,000 yen to 300,000 yen. All of this isn’t by accident. In fact, there’s a purpose behind FromSoft’s companywide increases.
At FromSoftware, we strive to make games that convey emotion, create value, and inspire joy. To this end, we are working towards stable income and a rewarding work environment where our employees can apply themselves to development. The increase in base and starting salaries is one implementation of this policy.
We will continue to develop games with the hope of inspiring players, and creating something of value.
In other words, a “rewarding work environment” begins with a stable income that will allow employees to feel comfortable that their personal affairs are in order. And it’s not just for current employees, either, or those who might have families and other responsibilities.
It applies to new employees, too, meaning upcoming game developers can feel comfortable in their decision to join the industry knowing that the money side of things will be taken care of.
Like we said, there are certainly a lot of negative elements in the video game industry and likely always will be. But news like this helps inject a much-needed boost of positivity into what can feel like a sea of negativity. Kudos, FromSoftware.
