Japanese gaming giant SEGA has announced a significant wage increase for its employees in Japan, continuing a trend of salary adjustments across the nation’s video game industry.

Starting on April 1, 2026, full-time employees at the company’s Japanese subsidiary will see an average rise of approximately 10% in their base salaries. This adjustment will be implemented through a revision of the compensation system, which includes folding a portion of the existing bonus structure into the new base pay, allowing for greater flexibility based on an employee’s role.

Attracting and Retaining Talent

The salary hike is driven by two main objectives:

1. Employee Welfare: To help staff cope with recent social changes, particularly the impact of rising prices and inflation.
2. Global Competitiveness: To recruit and retain top-tier talent, which the company sees as essential for strengthening its position in the global market.

The company is also raising the starting salary for new university graduates by 10%. The monthly entry-level pay will increase from ¥300,000 to ¥330,000 (roughly $2,130 USD). This marks the second time in recent years SEGA has raised the starting pay for new hires, following a substantial 35% increase in July 2023.

Industry-Wide Movement

SEGA’s move aligns with similar efforts by other major Japanese game developers to attract and retain staff amidst increased global competition.

• Earlier this year, Capcom raised its starting salary for new graduates to ¥300,000 and provided a special, one-time payment to current employees as an investment in the future workforce.
• In April, Elden Ring developer FromSoftware also boosted its average base pay by 11.8%, setting the new starting salary for university graduates at ¥300,000.