In mid-March 2026, six months after leaving NetEase, the entrepreneurial plans of Jin Tao, former producer of "Onmyoji" and "Harry Potter: Magic Awakened," were finally revealed. The company he co-founded with Yi Xiuqin, former Director of NetEase's Art Design Center – Guangzhou Seed Information Technology Co., Ltd. (Seed Games) – officially announced it has completed its first funding round, raising tens of millions of US dollars. The team has already grown to over 60 members and is currently developing a cross-platform game using Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). This new venture, which brings together core talent from industry giants like NetEase, Tencent, and miHoYo, is considered one of the most anticipated "dream teams" in the current wave of game startups.
The reunion of the award-winning producer and art director is a key aspect of Seed Games. Jin Tao, as the core producer behind hit titles like "Onmyoji" and "Harry Potter: Magic Awakened," accumulated extensive project management and commercialization experience within NetEase. Yi Xiuqin, having long served as Director of NetEase's Art Design Center, possesses top-tier capabilities in visual expression and content aesthetics. Their close collaboration during the development and operation of "Onmyoji" was a significant factor in their decision to partner for this new startup.
Business registration information shows that Guangzhou Seed Information Technology Co., Ltd. was established on June 19, 2025. Jin Tao, the legal representative, holds a 90% stake, while Yi Xiuqin holds 10%. The company is registered in Guangzhou's Huangpu District and is currently operational. According to details shared by Yi Xiuqin in a public recruitment post, the company began formal preparations in October 2025. It has maintained a low profile over the past few months, avoiding public promotion; even its official website is still under development. Recruitment has primarily relied on industry referrals.
The first funding round, amounting to tens of millions of US dollars, has attracted significant attention from the capital markets. According to exclusive reports, the company's current valuation exceeds 1 billion Chinese Yuan (approximately 150 million USD). The investor group includes well-known institutions like IDG, as well as a new fund established by Lilith Games and former NetEase Vice President Shao Yun. Both Jin Tao and Yi Xiuqin have also invested their own capital into the new company.
In the current climate of a funding winter and intense competition within the gaming industry, a startup securing funding of this scale demonstrates the market's high recognition of the founders' past achievements and strong confidence in their new venture's direction.
Based on the recruitment information released by Yi Xiuqin, Seed Games is currently developing a cross-platform product using UE5, with the explicit goal of "creating a phenomenal game IP." While specific details such as the title, genre, and gameplay mechanics remain undisclosed, the project description emphasizes leveraging the powerful capabilities of Unreal Engine to deliver极致 audiovisual performance and a rich storyline, aiming to provide an "immersive, anime-series-like experience" and build a solid foundation for commercialization.
Industry observers widely predict that, given Jin Tao's leadership and the team composed of elites from NetEase, Tencent, and miHoYo, the project will likely be an anime-style game. Previous rumors suggested Jin Tao's new venture had secured licensing for NetEase's "Onmyoji" IP, with the project concept resembling the previously unapproved "Project: Cloud Atlas." However, analysis suggests that based on Seed Games' stated goal of "creating a phenomenal game IP," the new UE5 title is more likely to be an entirely new IP developed by the team.
The recruitment needs span various roles including combat design, UE5 programming, character concept design, visual effects design, Technical Artist (AIGC focus), video director, and audio design. The company is also explicitly seeking versatile AI talent with cross-disciplinary skills. Yi Xiuqin emphasized that all positions are open, with no strict seniority requirements; the most important criterion is a candidate's pursuit of perfection in game artistry.
In the recruitment post, Yi Xiuqin openly expressed a disconnect from the corporate structures of large companies, a philosophy that has become a core tenet for attracting talent to Seed Games. "Rather than being a compliant cog in a large machine, it's better to be a person who can shine in a small team," Yi Xiuqin wrote. He argued that great work is born from environments of freedom and respect, suggesting that constant pressure from KPIs and performance evaluations stifles creativity. He emphasized that game development is fundamentally a creative industry requiring a sense of ease, security, and the courage to potentially fail without severe reprisal.
Regarding the ongoing AI revolution sweeping the industry, Yi Xiuqin holds a positive and embracing attitude. He believes the AI era represents "the best of times, a spring for entrepreneurs," stating that "AI has democratized technology." He posits that as repetitive tasks are automated, capabilities like architectural thinking for programmers, aesthetic judgment for artists, and creative vision for designers become even more valuable – referring to this accumulated experience as "spring for the seasoned veterans." The inclusion of Technical Artist (AIGC) roles and cross-functional AI talent in their recruitment highlights the team's forward-looking strategy to leverage AI for content creation.
Jin Tao's path to entrepreneurship is closely linked to his final project at NetEase. His departure from NetEase in August 2025 attracted significant industry attention. At the time, rumors suggested the trigger was the failure to secure internal budget approval for "Project: Cloud Atlas," a purported sequel to "Onmyoji." Although Jin Tao temporarily quelled speculation with an internal letter in April 2025, he ultimately left two months later. It is speculated that the constraints experienced with the "Project: Cloud Atlas" budget may have strengthened Jin Tao's resolve for this venture – to bet on creative potential with sufficient funding and greater autonomy.
Now, with Seed Games established in Guangzhou, backed by tens of millions in startup capital, a "dream team" of industry veterans, and a commitment to "free creation," the company has laid its foundation. As the gaming industry becomes increasingly industrialized and AI technology introduces new variables, the ambitious venture led by Jin Tao and Yi Xiuqin represents not only a pursuit of personal professional ideals but also a case study worth watching for exploring possibilities beyond the traditional large-company system. With the team entering a rapid expansion phase, the true nature of this new UE5 project will likely be revealed to players in the near future.
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