Simon Zhu, a former executive at NetEase, has successfully raised $100 million to establish GreaterThan Group

Simon Zhu, previously an executive at NetEase, has established a new enterprise named GreaterThan Group (GTG) with initial financing of $40 million and added pledges of around $60 million.

GTG's early ventures include investments in three gaming studios: Arcanaut Studios located in Edmonton, BulletFarm in Los Angeles, and MAGship based in Tokyo.

Arcanaut Studios is under the leadership of Casey Hudson, known for his role in directing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect series. The studio's first project, Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, was announced during The Game Awards 2025.

BulletFarm is guided by David Vonderhaar, who was previously a studio design director at Treyarch. The team is currently working on a new multiplayer first-person game.

In Tokyo, MAGship is managed by Masato Saki, a former Konami executive during the worldwide growth of Yu-Gi-Oh. This studio is investing in anime projects from Japan, which are central to GTG's intellectual property strategy.

The founding groups of the studios own shares in GTG, ensuring that leadership holds both studio-specific ownership and shared stakes in the company.

Although specific investors have not been disclosed, Zhu mentioned to Bloomberg that they belong to the gaming and tech industries. GTG is also collaborating with other creators to develop "innovative projects."

GTG's mission involves tackling challenges in game development by providing comprehensive funding, support, and independence to studios, which enables them to concentrate on creating unforgettable games.

Zhu expressed that GTG is attempting to reintroduce "common sense" into the gaming industry.

"We’re steering back to the essentials: gaming is fundamentally entertainment. Our responsibility is to meet players' desires. Authentic self-expression from talented creators has historically led to great games," Zhu stated.

"Developing high-quality games has grown more difficult in today's industry. Our aim is to establish the right environment for creators to pursue their passion projects, allowing them to dedicate most of their resources to game development without unnecessary hindrances. This approach has historically fostered many of the greatest games," he continued.

Before GTG, Zhu was the president overseeing global investments and collaborations at NetEase. He stepped down last year after the company reduced financing for some studios, including BulletFarm.

While at NetEase, Zhu was involved in financing games such as Sky: Children of the Light, Marvel Snap, and Fall Guys, and played a role in introducing Minecraft to the Chinese audience.