A Japanese boss has stated he will give his employees the day off for the launch day of Capcom’s action RPG Monster Hunter Rise.
Huffington Post Japan reports (translation: DeepL) that Masaki Hiyama, CEO of VR development company Mark-On, that all non-executive employees will receive the day off for the launch of the game; March 26th.
While paid leave in Japan varies depending on the company and how long the individual has worked there (starting at 10 days, and increasing the longer you are at a company), the average Japanese employee only takes half of that time; for fear of not being seen as dedicated to their work, or hindering colleagues.
Sick leave is also very unlikely; but there are government schemes for longer and more serious illnesses and conditions that may keep someone out of work.
Nontheless, Hiyama told Huffington Post Japan “there were several employees who said they wanted to take the day off [on the 26th] because they wanted to play Monhan [Monster Hunter Rise] right away, so we took the plunge and decided to do this. We’ve received words of thanks and appreciation from employees for taking the day off.”
When explaining this on Twitter, many expressed their surprise, jealousy, and approval of Hiyama’s employee-centric decision.
As previously reported, Monster Hunter Rise is the first mainline Monster Hunter title since the successful Monster Hunter World. Players return to the original style of gameplay, this time taking place in an eastern-style region, along with new mechanics, and monsters inspired by Japanese mythology.
Monster Hunter Rise launches May 26th on Nintendo Switch, and 2022 on Windows PC. A demo is currently available, and you can expect our review soon.
The story bears comparison to the rumor the Japanese government begging or passing legislation to ensure Dragon Quest games on a Saturday, to prevent children and adults alike from calling in sick to school or work. However, the truth of the matter is that Square Enix themselves elected to do this.
Image: Monster Hunter Rise official website, Pixabay
