Level-5 Offers Raises Only to Staff Who Prove They Know Its Games

Level-5 is teasing some unusually specific incentives for its staff: bigger pay rises, but only for employees who can prove they truly know the studio’s games. The twist is that the “knowledge quiz” isn’t about general gaming literacy—it’s tied directly to Level-5’s own catalog.

Studio CEO Akihiro Hino says the company uses quizzes built around Level-5 titles to determine who earns the larger salary increases at the Japanese developer. The offer is meant to reward correct answers, turning product familiarity into a measurable workplace skill rather than a vague bonus.

Based in Fukuoka, Level-5 also runs satellite offices in Tokyo and Osaka. While many players associate the company with the puzzle-based Professor Layton series, it’s also responsible for the Yo-kai Watch RPG franchise, the anime-inspired soccer adventure Inazuma Eleven, and the Studio Ghibli-like role-playing experience Ni no Kuni. If you know those worlds well, it’s hard not to see why Hino thinks the incentive system will resonate.

Quick scan: Level-5’s pay-rise quiz idea

• Level-5 is offering “significant” pay rises for staff who answer knowledge questions about the company’s games correctly.
• CEO Akihiro Hino says the quizzes are based on Level-5 titles and unlock larger salary increases only when answers are correct.
• Hino claims employees with strong knowledge can take on more responsibility or help train others.
• Level-5 is headquartered in Fukuoka, with satellite offices in Tokyo and Osaka.
• Major series linked to the studio include Professor Layton, Yo-kai Watch, Inazuma Eleven, and Ni no Kuni.

Why Hino says it’s more than a quirky perk

In comments shared with Japanese publication Famitsu (via Automaton), Hino discussed the real-world impact of the system—specifically, how much existing employees could add to their salary by showing strong knowledge of Level-5 products. The exact figure hasn’t been made public, but Hino said the reveal left reporters genuinely surprised.

Hino also framed the approach as an efficiency play with a clear business rationale. In his view, employees who understand the company’s games deeply are better positioned to handle additional tasks, or to support other team members by tutoring them through processes that are easier when you know the material.

He explained that if someone’s knowledge isn’t enough, the team needs extra coverage—either from colleagues who can support them directly or from people who review their work. But when an employee does have the required understanding, that person can step into a lead role and help streamline how the workflow moves from one stage to the next.

“In other words,” Hino said, “I consider a person’s knowledge of and passion for the company’s games to be a genuine skill.” He added that when you treat that skill as a cost to the organization, the company can generate efficiency gains that outweigh what it pays out through the incentive.

Next up for Level-5: Professor Layton and the New World of Steam

Level-5’s next major release is Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. It’s planned to come to PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2 later this year, with the timing aimed at a multi-platform rollout.

The title is especially notable for PC players because it’s the first adventure in the Professor Layton series to launch on PC and PlayStation. The franchise has previously leaned heavily on Nintendo handhelds and smartphones, so this is a clear shift in where the series is prioritizing its audience.

In the wider games industry, PlayStation recently announced plans to sharply cut the size of Bungie’s workforce. The move follows a decision to stop development on Destiny 2, marking another chapter in how major publishers are reshaping their internal teams.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is expected to reveal additional layoffs soon—described as a “bloodbath”—as it unloads studios and redirects remaining development resources toward a smaller set of flagship franchises. For now, Level-5’s approach stands out as a different kind of internal change: not cutting roles, but tying compensation to demonstrated knowledge of its own game lineup.