While most of the games industry spent the past week handing out pink slips, Nintendo did something refreshingly different. The company confirmed it has bumped employee base salaries by 10%, and honestly, the timing could not be more pointed. As studios shutter and layoffs pile up across the board, the Kyoto giant is quietly reminding everyone that there is another way to run a business. Here is what was said and why it matters.
Nintendo On Retaining Talents
The news came straight from the top. During a Q&A session at the 2026 Nintendo shareholders’ meeting, president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about employee compensation, given that the company does not have a workers’ union, and he revealed that Nintendo had raised base salaries by 10% to retain staff.
His exact framing, via translation, was measured in classic Nintendo fashion. “We maintain salaries at an appropriate level,” Furukawa said. “We believe it is important to ensure that compensation remains at an appropriate standard. For example, we have increased pay, including raising base salaries by 10%.” Not exactly fireworks, but for the people cashing those checks, it is a meaningful move.
What the 10% Raise Actually Covers
Here is where a little precision helps. Furukawa confirmed at the 86th Annual General Meeting in Kyoto that the company raised base salaries for employees in Japan by 10%. It is not entirely clear whether this 10% figure applies company-wide across the globe or is specifically targeted at staff in Japan, but a raise is a raise, and it is good news either way.
The question that prompted his answer was specifically about how Nintendo looks after employees who are not backed by a union. So this was less of a splashy announcement and more of Furukawa explaining the company’s broader philosophy on keeping pay fair.
Nintendo Is Pulling in the Opposite Direction
The backdrop makes this stand out even more. The industry is in a rough patch, and Nintendo zigging while everyone else zags is exactly why people are paying attention. In just the past stretch, Bungie went through mass layoffs as a Sony first-party studio, Xbox raised the price of its Series X and S hardware again, and reports of studio closures kept swirling.
Against all of that, Nintendo raising wages reads like a statement of values. The company has been increasing prices on hardware and even bumped up the cost of Nintendo Switch Online in Japan, yet it is still choosing to invest in keeping its people happy. Retention is clearly the goal, and a workforce that is not constantly worried about its future tends to make better games.
A Quick Note on the Details
The quote everyone is working from comes through a live translation shared by an attendee at the meeting rather than an official English transcript from Nintendo. Some observers have pointed out that the phrasing reads as Furukawa describing what Nintendo does in general to keep pay appropriate, and that Nintendo previously raised base salaries by 10% back in 2023, which leaves a bit of room for interpretation on whether this is a brand new raise or a reference to that earlier move.
So take the specifics with a touch of caution until Nintendo publishes the official Q&A. The main takeaway is that Nintendo is prioritizing employee pay, which holds up regardless of which reading you land on.
Nintendo’s Track Record
None of this is out of character. Nintendo has long leaned on the philosophy that its people are its real asset, a mindset famously embodied by the late Satoru Iwata, who once took a personal pay cut to avoid laying off staff. On top of the salary news, Nintendo’s permanent employee headcount reportedly increased by over 300 in FY26 compared with FY25, which paints a picture of a company growing its team rather than trimming it.
Hiring more people and paying them more, all while shipping games at a steady clip, is a flex that a lot of larger competitors simply cannot match right now.
In a week stuffed with grim industry headlines, this one lands like a breath of fresh air. Whether the 10% figure is a fresh raise or Nintendo reaffirming a recent one, the message is the same. The company is betting on its workforce instead of cutting it, and that is the kind of leadership the rest of the industry could stand to study. Here is hoping the success that funds these raises keeps rolling, because more of this would do everyone a lot of good.
