In an effort to attract new talent, Japanese developers such as Sony and Bandai Namco have decided to incorporate winter bonuses into their base salaries

Sony and Bandai Namco have eliminated employee bonuses in Japan to facilitate an increase in base salaries.

According to Nikkei Business and highlighted by Automaton, the winter bonus—one of two yearly bonuses usually granted to Japanese employees—has been integrated into monthly wages, consequently boosting salaries.

Automaton reports that starting salaries for some entry-level roles at Sony Group have risen by approximately $330 per month. Bandai Namco's entry-level salaries have climbed from about $1500 to $1980 monthly in 2022 and have recently seen another $100 monthly increase.

This attempt to elevate wages is seen as part of a strategy by firms to secure skilled talent.

Over a hundred positions were reportedly reduced at Bandai Namco between April 2024 and February 2025. This follows reports that in the previous October, the Tokyo-headquartered company employed a "traditionally Japanese method of downsizing by assigning employees to roles without responsibilities, compelling them to resign voluntarily".

During this period, allegations surfaced that 200 out of the 1300 employees were placed in so-called "expulsion rooms," or "oidashi beya," leading to nearly half of them resigning voluntarily.