Japanese gacha boss defended as Puzzle & Dragons studio refutes his salary is too high

GungHo, the Japanese studio behind mobile gacha hit Puzzle & Dragons, has refuted claims its president receives too high a salary – on par with that of Nintendo’s boss.

At the start of the month, GungHo came under fire from its shareholders when a proposal was submitted requesting it “up its game”. It highlighted a number of issues, not least of all the salary of its president Kazuki Morishita, who receives a similar remuneration to Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, despite the studio failing to produce a hit game beyond Puzzle & Dragons.

Now, the GungHo board of directors has opposed all of the proposals made by its shareholders (thanks Automaton), claiming they misunderstand the “highly competitive” mobile game marketplace.

GungHo has responded to each of the proposals in a lengthy legal document, even questioning its clarity and legality.

The response states the argument from shareholders against Morishita “is based on misunderstanding and fails to recognise the role that President Morishita has played in achieving the Company’s growth, while leading the Company’s business as its de facto founder for over 20 years.”