FromSoftware President Vows To Protect Jobs As Gaming Industry Layoffs Pile Up

President of FromSoftware, Hidetaka Miyazaki, shared his distaste for all the layoffs currently plaguing the gaming industry this year during an interview with PC Gamer. He said that “speaking to myself and this company, I want to say that this is not something I would wish on the staff at FromSoftware in a million years.”

Miyazaki seems to have been inspired by former Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, who famously took a pay cut instead of laying off employees during one of Nintendo’s less successful eras. He said that “I think it was the old ex-president of Nintendo, Iwata-san, who said that ‘people who are afraid of losing their jobs are afraid of making good things.’ I’m paraphrasing that, but I totally share this view.”

As with most game studios, FromSoftware is part of a larger corporate entity. In this case, the studio is ultimately at the mercy of Kadokawa, a Japanese company that also operates in the manga and anime markets. However, Miyazaki feels as if the two are on the same page when it comes to how it treats its staff, saying that “I’m pretty sure our parent company Kadokawa understands that and shares that view.”

Things can always change, and nothing is for certain in the games industry, where even producing a game that is well received by gamers and critics sometimes isn’t enough. Miyazaki acknowledges this while remaining resolute, saying that “while we can’t say 100%—we can’t say with complete certainty what the future’s going to hold for From and Kadokawa—at least as long as this company is my responsibility, that’s something I would not let happen.”

It’s refreshing to see someone in a position as high as Miyazaki come out and makes these kinds of statements, rather than the usual platitudes. Fans can rest assured knowing the studio won’t be making cuts to its talented staff anytime soon.