Bandai Namco announces reshuffling of leadership in pursuit of new IP-driven mid-term plan
Alongside its third quarter earnings report, Bandai Namco Holdings announced that they will be changing their line-up of Representative Directors with the aim of achieving the company’s new mid-term plan. The plan focuses on strengthening their organizational structure and maximizing the value and longevity of their IPs.
Masaru Kawaguchi, who is currently the CEO, President and Representative Director, will assume the position of Chairman and Director and continue to contribute to management. Current Director Yuji Asako will take his place in a promotion to President and Representative Director.
Bandai Namco’s new April 2025 mid-term plan aims to strengthen their global IP strategy and achieve sustainable growth in the mid-to-long term. The group plans to improve its connections with fans and diverse business partners around the world to promote initiatives to grow their IPs and build a stronger, growth-focused organizational structure.
Bandai Namco has experienced much financial success over the past year. In their gaming sector this was thanks to Elden Ring’s enduring popularity and the strong performance of Dragon Ball, Gundam Breaker 4 and Gakuen Idolmaster, to name a few. However, at the same time, they suffered a well-publicized setback regarding Blue Protocol. The much-anticipated MMORPG spent less than a year live on Japanese servers and never made it outside the country, as was originally planned. Bandai Namco Online, the group’s subsidiary that handles online game development, is subsequently set to be dissolved on April 1, 2025.
It seems that this new mid-term plan will aim to strengthen both the Group’s communication with internal and external entities, as well as make sure that their IPs remain profitable and relevant in the long term.
