Level-5 CEO reveals staff receive significant pay rises for scoring well on quizzes about the studio's own games

Akihiro Hino, founder, CEO and president of Professor Layton and Ni no Kuni developer Level-5, has revealed that the studio rewards employees with substantial pay rises for demonstrating knowledge of its games through internal tests, with those in the room reportedly left stunned by the figures involved.

The details:

• Hino disclosed the policy in a new interview with Famitsu, explaining that Level-5 administers content knowledge tests to staff, with high scorers receiving a pay rise regardless of their career level or seniority, including new hires
• The specific yen amounts were not printed by Famitsu, but the reporter noted those present were visibly surprised at the figures, with plans to increase the amount further in future
• Hino framed product knowledge as a core professional skill: "When it comes to entrusting a task to someone, whether they have knowledge of that specific title is truly crucial. If their knowledge is insufficient, we'll need other team members to support them or review their work. On the other hand, if they do have that knowledge, they can take the lead and streamline the workflow."
• The CEO described the cost as a net gain for the company: "When viewed as a company cost, it means we're achieving efficiency gains that far exceed that amount"
• The comments came as Hino also confirmed Level-5 has no plans to grow beyond its current roster of approximately 320 staff
• Level-5 is currently developing Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, the eighth main series entry and the first in nearly a decade, targeting Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and PC in 2026