TuSimple closes Guangzhou gaming division and faces legal claims from employees

On Monday, TuSimple announced the shutdown of its Guangzhou gaming division and the initiation of a liquidation process. TuSimple, an autonomous driving company, made a major strategic shift last year to develop the open-world role-playing game Jin Yong’s Heroes, inspired by the martial arts novels of Jin Yong, a Chinese author whose works are known across the country. The company’s gaming division operates studios in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, with the latter, its largest, responsible for the development of the Jin Yong project. Several sources told local media outlet Youxi Putao that the closure of the Guangzhou office may stem from internal power struggles and a breakdown of trust between the parent company and its subsidiaries. The Guangzhou team, which employs over 110 people, is now seeking legal assistance for unpaid wages and layoff compensation following the sudden shutdown. [Youxi Putao, in Chinese]