Ejoy Technology

About Ejoy Technology

Ejoy Technology, legally known as Guangzhou Jianyue Information Technology Co., Ltd., was established in September 2011 as a developer and operator of online games. The company was founded by a team of veterans from NetEase, one of China's leading internet and gaming companies. The founding trio included Zhan Zhonghui (also known as "Dingdang"), the former Chief Operating Officer of NetEase; Wu Yunyang (known as "Yunfeng"), a principal developer behind hit titles like "Fantasy Westward Journey"; and Chen Wei'an, a former NetEase vice president who had managed operations for major games like "World of Warcraft" in China.

The founders brought extensive experience from their time at NetEase, where they were instrumental in building its formidable game development and operations teams. Their departure and the subsequent creation of Ejoy stemmed from a desire for more creative freedom and to pursue their vision of developing high-quality games. The venture initially faced challenges, balancing between licensing existing games and developing their own, which led to an early setback. A pivotal moment came with the decision to pivot the entire company towards mobile gaming, a move inspired by the global success of games like "Clash of Clans". This strategic shift proved successful, leading to the development of several notable mobile titles. The company's business model is centered on developing games for various platforms and monetizing them through in-game purchases and other mechanisms. Ejoy has served a broad market, from casual to core gamers, often partnering with larger platforms for distribution.

Ejoy Technology developed a diverse portfolio of games, including strategy, card, and action genres. Key products included "Momo Contest," a strategy game developed for the social platform Momo, and "Tian Tian Lai Zhan," an action mobile game distributed by Tencent. These games achieved significant market success, validating the team's development capabilities. A unique selling point was the team's technical expertise, including the creation of proprietary 2D and server engines, which provided a solid foundation for their games and optimized performance, particularly on lower-spec hardware. In September 2017, Ejoy Technology was wholly acquired by Alibaba's Culture and Entertainment Group for a reported RMB 1 billion to form the core of its new gaming business unit, Lingxi Games. Following the acquisition, the founding team took on leadership roles within Alibaba's gaming division, continuing to influence the development of successful titles. As of early 2024, all three original founders have since departed from Alibaba.