Image via Sega

When Yakuza studio head Toshihiro Nagoshi left Sega Japan last autumn, fans of the series were curious about what the creator would make next. At the time, he said he was going "to take a different path." Information technology seems that path has led him to the neighboring nation of China to work for NetEase.

VGC spotted a trademark filed at the European Matrimony Intellectual Property Office. Chosen "Nagoshi Studio," the filing's link to the former Yakuza director seems pretty clear. His name isn't directly attached to the EUIPO listing, just the "computer game software" service named in the filing quite strongly implies his interest. Also named in the list is Ingenias, which equally VGC points out, is the filing representative for previous NetEase trademarks. This all falls in line with Bloomberg's Baronial 2022 report that claimed Nagoshi would be joining NetEase.

NetEase has certainly been expanding its reach in contempo months. It caused No More Heroes developer Grasshopper Manufacture in October, a move which Grasshopper studio head Suda51 said would "ensure that we are able to go on to maintain the consequent 'Grasshopper Manufacture flavor' and game quality for which we are known." NetEase also launched The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War on mobile devices around the same time as that acquisition.