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GungHo Online Appoints New CEO Kazuya Sakai, Current CEO Kazuki Morishita Steps Down

GungHo Online Entertainment announced on Friday that its CEO, President, and Representative Director Kazuki Morishita is stepping down from his position on February 1. Current CFO, Director, and Executive General Manager of Finance Accounting Division Kazuya Sakai will become the new CEO, President, and Representative Director on the same day. Morishita will become a Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Development Officer. Meanwhile, the current Executive Officer, IRO, and Executive General Manager of Corporate Planning Division Kazumasa Takayama will replace Sakai as CFO.

Morishita has been directing the development of the company's Puzzle & Dragons game since its release in 2012. He has expressed an intention to resign in order to more fully direct and oversee game development.

GungHo Online Entertainment is known for its puzzle game Puzzle & Dragons. The company hosts the Japanese server of the MMORPG Ragnarok Online. GungHo has also worked on the TEPPEN, Ninjala, and Disney Pixel RPG games.

The company recently dismissed a former executive-level employee for embezzlement in July 2025 for misappropriating approximately 246 million yen (about US$1.675 million) of company funds by making fictitious business orders to themselves through a work-matching service operated by a third-party company for several years.

Sources: Gungho Online, 4Gamer (或鷹)