FromSoftware has announced its plans to raise salaries for its employees next year. This is part of the studio’s policy of creating a “rewarding work environment.”
Elden Ring
- Enrolled employees already working at FromSoftware will see an average salary increase of approximately 11.8% starting in April 2025, according to a press release.
- The Elden Ring developer will also increase the starting salary for new graduates from ¥260,000 ($1,775) to ¥300,000 ($2,050) per month.
- “At FromSoftware, we strive to make games that convey emotion, create value, and inspire joy,” the studio said in a statement. “To this end, we are working towards stable income and a rewarding work environment where our employees can apply themselves to development.”
- There were previously several reports that FromSoftware paid its staff below average salaries compared to other Japanese developers. In November 2022, job openings advertised at the studio started from ¥220,000 ($1,585 at the exchange rates at the time) per month — vs. a low average of ¥231,000 ($1,664) in Japanese game development (via GamesIndustry.biz).
- The newly announced raises suggest that FromSoftware has been indexing wages over the past few years, following the example of other Japanese studios. This practice has become quite common in the country, especially given the weakness of the yen.
- In March, Capcom announced a salary increase for its employees by over 5% on average, as well as a 27.6% increase in starting salaries for graduate hires — from ¥235,000 ($1,604) to ¥300,000 ($2,050). Last year, several other Japanese game companies raised wages, including Konami, Square Enix, Sega, and Nintendo.
As of June 2024, FromSoftware employed 423 people. The studio generated ¥15.5 billion ($103.2 million) in revenue last year — down 29% compared to 2022. The decline was driven by the impact from the global success of Elden Ring, which sold over 25 million units globally. However, FromSoftware’s parent company Kadokawa expects its operating metrics to improve this year, thanks to the launch of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, which sold 5 million copies in just three days.