miHoYo Co-Founder Cai Haoyu Stripped of All Domestic Roles — Only Shareholder Status Left. Netizens: "Is This the Tian Feng Arc?"

The myth of miHoYo's "three founders as brothers" may have just shattered for good. According to Chinese business registration records, co-founder Cai Haoyu (蔡浩宇) has stepped down from ALL of miHoYo's domestic corporate entities, retaining only his shareholder stake — meaning he gets dividends but holds zero operational power.

The NGA forums erupted the moment this news broke. One player quipped: "Nice, cashed out and bounced" — implying Cai took the money and ran. Another threw shade at the long-standing community narrative: "Weren't the 'miHoYo simps' always saying the three co-founders were ride-or-die besties?" — a direct slap to the "brothers-in-arms" fan fiction that had been circulating for years.

Here's where it gets spicy: multiple commenters claimed that Cai had once publicly criticized Honkai: Star Rail's (崩坏：星穹铁道) quality, only for the game to become a massive commercial success after launch. One user dropped a Three Kingdoms reference — "Tian Feng, right?" — comparing Cai to the ill-fated advisor who gave correct counsel to warlord Yuan Shao but was imprisoned for it rather than rewarded. Another was even more blunt: "It's because Cai was proven right about Star Rail." The implication? Speaking truth to power got him exiled.

As for where Cai actually is now, several netizens claim he's already moved overseas — or as Chinese internet slang puts it, he "ran" (润, rùn). One commenter joked: "AchiAnd as for where Cai actually is now, several netizens claim he's already moved abroad — or as Chinese gaming community slang puts it, he "ran" (润, rùn). One commenter joked: "Achieve success, then emigrate — the Tao of heaven." Others took a more serious tone, suggesting the move was about "maintaining team purity" — a likely reference to the complications of having an overseas-based executive running a mainland Chinese company.

The comment section also dug up miHoYo's previously hyped brain-computer interface (BCI) research project. Some claimed the project's official WeChat account and website haven't been updated in two years, with hiring completely halted. One user was less diplomatic: "The BCI project is just a tax-dodge shell operation — only a fool would buy it." While there's no hard evidence for such claims, the project's prolonged silence is undeniable.

Opinions on what this all means are sharply divided. Some see it as a ruthless corporate coup — "Is Liu Wei really this cold-blooded?" — while others believe Cai voluntarily walked away after being stripped of all influence, settling into a passive dividend-collecting role. As one commenter put it: "Zero real power, just profit-sharing. They really went all-out in this internal purge."

miHoYo has made zero public comment on the situation. But one thing is clear: the fairy tale of "three otaku bros just making games together" has crumbled in the face of cold, hard corporate filings.