According to Konami’s FY2022 Financial Results from May 12, the Japanese company has just recorded its most profitable year ever. Revenue increased from ¥272.7bn to ¥299.5bn, a jump of nearly 10%. Profit for the same period is up 69.9%, and operating profit has grown 103.6%.
If you’re a little surprised to hear that Konami has achieved this success despite neglecting its most iconic and beloved IPs (namely Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Metal Gear), you’re not alone. Where is all this profit coming from? Per the financial results report, the highlights of the company’s FY2022 Q4 are Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel (which exceeded 30 million downloads as of April) and the strong performances of both the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME and the Japan-only eBaseball Pawafuru Puroyakyu 2022.
To the chagrin of long-time fans, Konami has seemingly shelved its most popular series in favor of pachinko machines and NFTs. The financial report also highlights the performance of its Pachinko Sengoku Collection BLACK machine and its casino management system SYNKROS. In January, the company celebrated the 35th anniversary of its Castlevania series, not by announcing a new game, but with an NFT auction that netted over $150,000.
However, for video game fans, there is a small light at the end of the Konami tunnel. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is still slated for a 2022 release, and the company promised back in April that it was “in deep development on a number of key projects.” Hopefully, this includes the two Silent Hill games that Konami has been teasing since early 2020.
