GungHo

GungHo Online Entertainment, Ltd., commonly known as GungHo, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Based in Japan, the company focuses on online and mobile games and operates publishing and development arms that distribute titles domestically and internationally. It is part of the broader GungHo corporate group and has positioned itself in the free-to-play and live-service segments of the gaming market.

Founded in the late 1990s, GungHo expanded beyond in-house releases to publish titles from external developers and to establish regional subsidiaries that handle localization, distribution, and support. The company has played a role in growing online and mobile gaming in Japan, North America, and Europe through licensing agreements, partnerships, and strategic publishing efforts.

Puzzle & Dragons is the best-known title associated with GungHo. Released for mobile devices in 2012, the game blends puzzle mechanics with role-playing elements and operates on a freemium model supported by microtransactions. Its commercial success helped raise GungHo’s profile and influenced later strategy toward ongoing content updates and live-service features.

GungHo has pursued partnerships, acquisitions, and publishing arrangements to extend its global reach and portfolio. Like many mobile-focused publishers, it has faced competition, evolving consumer preferences, and regulatory changes affecting in-app purchases. Today, GungHo continues to operate as a publisher and developer of online and mobile games, maintaining regional operations to support its titles worldwide.