[haiji1992]

Sorry—I only speak Chinese, so I used translation software for my earlier messages. If there are mistakes, please feel free to point them out. I’m a game industry professional, and I’d like to share an unusual career journey.

In 2019, China’s game industry was hit by license (banhao) restrictions—without a license, games couldn’t enter the market. Many studios shut down. Unfortunately, I was laid off in June with no severance. My boss was a founder; he treated people well, and none of us blamed him.

After the layoff, my girlfriend and I often ate at a local barbecue shop. We got to know the owner, learned the ropes, and three months later—by October—we opened our own barbecue restaurant. Business started strong, but the good times didn’t last. In November, African swine fever broke out. For a barbecue shop that relied heavily on pork, it was a heavy blow: pork prices nearly tripled, other meats also became more expensive, and our customers were affected. Our daily revenue fell from around 6,000 to about 5,000.

Soon after, something bigger hit—the pandemic. Right before the Lunar New Year, the government required all businesses to close for public health. We stayed home, but the storefront rent still had to be paid. Although the strict lockdown didn’t last long, the pandemic dragged on and the economy struggled. After a year of weak sales, my girlfriend and I agreed that I would return to the game industry. I found my current job, and she continued running the restaurant.

In April 2021, my girlfriend and I broke up. I lost the energy to keep managing the restaurant, and by October we closed it so I could focus on my career. My first project at the new company—Nation of Darkness—spent two years in development and performed reasonably well at launch. We then began a second project just as the company was facing a cash crunch and needed results quickly. Unfortunately, our team lead didn’t deliver and was replaced. After the change, I felt increasingly out of sync with the new lead. About a year later, I left to team up again with my former lead, and together we started building the SeaGames platform.

That’s my work experience—every move was one I actively pursued. If you notice any errors in my English, I’d really appreciate your feedback.