Shuhei Yoshida Says Japanese Studios Can’t Match the Scale of China’s Biggest Games

Japanese video game veteran Shuhei Yoshida recently shared his perspective on the differences between Japanese and Chinese game development. After attending WePlay Expo 2025, one of China’s largest indie game events, Yoshida highlighted the impressive speed and scale of Chinese studios compared to Japanese ones.

Observing China’s Game Industry

Yoshida praised the rapid pace of development in China. He noted that teams quickly adapt to changes in personnel and project demands. “The development speed in China is amazing. They’re also quick at changing personnel, and all of the game development work itself unfolds rapidly,” he said.

Large-scale projects, especially those with cinematic or animated elements, often exceed what Japanese studios can produce in the same timeframe.

Comparing Japanese and Chinese Studios

Reflecting on his previous encounters with miHoYo, the developer behind Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, Yoshida said, “It would be quite difficult for Japanese developers to make games in the same way miHoYo does.

One reason Chinese games excel is that they are built in an environment allowing large teams to work long hours.” He also mentioned that legal, business, and labor frameworks in Japan limit the speed and flexibility that Chinese studios enjoy.

miHoYo’s Ambitious Future

Yoshida praised miHoYo’s upcoming title, Varsapura, which is built using Unreal Engine 5. He described it as a test to see how far the studio can push high-end, realistic game design. This marks a shift from their anime-inspired visuals in previous titles. Yoshida believes Varsapura demonstrates miHoYo’s strategy to stay ahead while other studios try to copy them.

Japan’s Creative Edge vs Production Scale

Despite these challenges, Yoshida acknowledged Japan’s strength in creativity and design. He said Japanese developers excel at creating unique experiences. However, matching China’s speed and scale remains difficult. Unless structural changes occur, Japanese studios will likely focus on artistry over mass production.

Yoshida concluded that China’s current game development environment offers advantages that are hard to replicate. This keeps the country ahead in high-speed, large-scale game production.

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