What Winlight does

WINLIGHT Co., Ltd. (株式会社ウインライト) is a privately held Japanese entertainment and technology company founded in 2003 and headquartered in Sumida, Tokyo, with 51-100 employees. The company develops and operates online games, with its flagship 17-year-old 3DMMORPG Elemental Knights Online R (エレメンタルナイツオンラインR) distributed free-to-play on iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, and PS4 across Japan, Asia, North America, and Europe, monetized via in-app purchases. WINLIGHT also operates the Jannavi online mahjong platform with esports league participation, the WINLIGHT FX affiliate/information portal for overseas FX and binary options brokers, and SES (System Engineering Services) and personnel introduction businesses that repurpose its engineering talent for enterprise IT clients.

The company's underlying technology centers on a proprietary cross-platform real-time multiplayer game engine and early-mover expertise in blockchain/NFT integration. In partnership with Taiwan-based Metap Inc., WINLIGHT co-developed blockchain gaming capabilities for GensoKishi Online (元素騎士オンライン) and integrated the GENSO MAKER UGC tool — described as a world-first Web2-to-Web3 home console UGC integration — enabling players to design avatar costumes that can be exported as NFTs and featured in Elemental Knights R. The company is now extending this blockchain/NFT expertise into RWA (Real-World Asset) Trade Services launched in October 2025.

WINLIGHT's business model combines freemium game revenue (gacha gems, cosmetic items, event bundles, and paid console downloads), B2B professional services (blockchain development for Metap and Web3 partners, application development, and enterprise IT staffing via SES and 人才紹介), and affiliate/advertising revenue from the WINLIGHT FX comparison site. GTM is primarily product-led with event-driven engagement (collaboration campaigns with external IP holders such as Don Quijote, Reiwa-chan, Soup Curry Kamui, Hundred Note, and Gloomy), supplemented by social media, a secondary creation community, and a recruiting channel that converts engineering talent into enterprise services contracts.

Name

Winlight

Legal name

株式会社ウインライト

Website

https://winlight.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WINLIGHT (株式会社ウインライト) is a Tokyo-based, privately held Japanese studio founded in 2003 that operates the cross-platform 3DMMORPG Elemental Knights Online R, delivers blockchain/NFT development and RWA trade services with partner Metap Inc., and runs ancillary online mahjong, FX affiliate, and SES staffing lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Game Development and Operations

NAICS

Other Gambling Industries (713290)

akta.pro primary industry

GameFi Economies & Token Systems (tokens, staking, sinks/sources, inflation control) (FSAPAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gaming & Virtual World Communities (BPAMABAE), Play-to-Earn & Reward Platforms (questing, loyalty, airdrop mechanics) (FSAPAGAH), Guilds, Scholarship & Player Networks (asset renting, delegation, communities) (FSAPAGAI), Player Wallets, Identity & Accounts for Games (embedded wallets, SSO, DID) (FSAPAGAF)

Keywords

• Online game development
• Mobile MMORPG games
• Blockchain development services
• Engineering staffing services
• Financial information portal

Headquarters

HQ city

Sumida

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Online Game Services (エレメンタルナイツR): WINLIGHT operates the 3DMMORPG エレメンタルナイツR (Elemental Knights R) as a free-to-play (F2P) title with item-based in-app purchases. Players purchase gacha gems, deluxe adventure sets, lucky bags, and cosmetic items. Nintendo Switch and PS4 versions are paid apps.
2. WINLIGHT FX (Affiliate/Content Site): WINLIGHT operates an FX and binary options information and comparison site (WINLIGHT FX) that generates revenue through affiliate marketing and advertising commissions from featured brokers.
3. SES (System Engineering Service) & 人材紹介 (Staffing/Recruitment): WINLIGHT provides SES (System Engineering Service) and personnel introduction services, leveraging its 20+ years of content development expertise, technical capabilities, and industry connections to match engineering talent with client companies.
4. Blockchain Development Services: WINLIGHT offers blockchain development services and NFT technology support to Metap Inc. and other partners in the Web3 gaming space, contributing to RWA trading platform development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Winlight Co., Ltd. develops and operates online games, most notably the 3DMMORPG Elemental Knights Online R (エレメンタルナイツオンラインR) available across iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, and PS4 platforms. The company also runs the Jannavi online mahjong platform, operates the WINLIGHT FX financial information affiliate site, and provides B2B services including blockchain/NFT development (in cooperation with Metap Inc.'s GensoKishi Online), application development, and SES (System Engineering Services) staffing.

Product overview

WINLIGHT Co., Ltd. operates a diversified portfolio of entertainment and technology services. The core offering consists of online game services including エレメンタルナイツオンラインR (Elemental Knights Online R), a 3DMMORPG available across mobile and console platforms, and 元素騎士オンライン (GensoKishi Online), a blockchain-based metaverse game powered by partner Metap Inc. The company also operates ジャンナビ, an online mahjong platform with esports components, and WINLIGHT FX, an informational portal for FX trading services. Supporting services include blockchain development consulting, application development solutions, and SES (System Engineering Services). The product ecosystem spans Web2 gaming, Web3/NFT integration, and enterprise technology services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elemental Knights Online R (エレメンタルナイツオンラインR) Free-to-play 3DMMORPG (multiplayer online RPG) distributed across iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, and PS4. Features real-time multiplayer gameplay, character customization, UGC avatar costume design, periodic collaboration events with external IP holders, and in-app purchases (gacha gems, deluxe adventure sets, lucky bags, cosmetic items). Console versions are paid apps.
• Jannavi (ジャンナビ) Online mahjong platform operated by Winlight offering browser-based and mobile mahjong games. Supports competitive esports leagues, including participation in the Zan League (ザンリーグ) corporate competition through the Jannavi team led by former professional mahjong player Horiuchi Masato.
• WINLIGHT FX FX and binary options information and comparison portal providing reviews, comparisons, and guides for overseas FX and binary options brokers. Generates revenue through affiliate marketing and advertising commissions from featured broker referrals.
• Blockchain Development Services B2B blockchain development consulting and technical services leveraging Winlight's NFT, Web3, and RWA expertise. Supports NFT-related technology development for partner Metap Inc.'s GensoKishi Online and provides RWA trading platform development.
• Application Development Solutions Enterprise-facing application development services including game development, live operations support, and custom application development for corporate clients.
• SES (System Engineering Services) Staffing and engineering services providing technical personnel for client projects. Leverages Winlight's 20+ years of content development and technical expertise to match engineering talent with client companies, expanded alongside human resources introduction services in December 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• エレメンタルナイツR celebrated its 17th anniversary in 2025, demonstrating sustained engagement over nearly two decades.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Metap Inc. (Metap合同会社)coreTechnology or Integration · 24 October 2025WINLIGHT cooperates with Metap Inc., the provider of 元素騎士オンライン (GensoKishi Online), for NFT-related technology development. WINLIGHT provides blockchain game development support and UGC tool integration, enabling cross-service collaborations such as GENSO MAKER-created UGC costumes appearing in エレメンタルナイツR. The partnership aims to advance NFT technology and RWA (Real World Asset) trading in the gaming space.
• SBI VC トレード株式会社 (SBI VC Trade)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2024WINLIGHT partnered with SBI VC Trade for an original NFT giveaway campaign tied to 元素騎士オンライン. SBI VC Trade is a cryptocurrency exchange operator, and the partnership involved distributing commemorative NFTs to users as part of a joint promotional campaign.
• ザン league (Thanm League) / ザン联赛minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 October 2024WINLIGHT's Jannavi brand (a WINLIGHT-operated service) entered the '企業联赛' (Corporate League) of the Zan League — a competitive three-player mahjong esports league. WINLIGHT's 'Jannavi Team' competes in the league, with former professional mahjong player 堀内正人 as team leader, promoting the Jannavi mahjong gaming platform.
• 株式会社ヒナプロジェクト (Hina Project Co., Ltd.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 October 2024WINLIGHT partnered with Hina Project to allow エレメンタルナイツR fan fiction to be posted on the popular Japanese novel posting site 小説家になろう (Shousetsuka ni Narou). This enables creators to write and share エレメンタルナイツR fan novels, expanding community engagement and UGC content.
• ドン・キホーテ (Don Quijote)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 August 2024WINLIGHT and Metap Inc. collaborated with Don Quijote on a joint campaign within 元素騎士オンライン. Players who completed tasks across both the game and Don Quijote's metaverse 'METAドンキ' could obtain limited-edition NFT collaboration gear ('METAドンペン', 'METAドンペンパーカー') and enter a lottery for Don Quijote's 'ドBOX-NFT'.
• 滋賀県彦根市 (Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2022WINLIGHT partnered with Hikone City to open '彦根LAND' — an Edoperiod-themed metaverse space within the GENSOKISHI Online - META WORLD - game. The collaboration features Hikone Castle, the local mascot characters 'ひこにゃん' and 'いいのすけ', and promotes local tourism through gaming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• gumi Inc. Japanese mobile game developer with an explicit blockchain gaming subsidiary (gumi Cryptos). Comparable to Winlight's combination of mobile gaming and Web3/blockchain services.
• Colopl: Tokyo-headquartered mobile game developer behind Shironeko Project and White Cat Project. Comparable to Winlight as a Japanese mobile-first operator with long-running live titles.
• Asobimo: Japanese mobile MMORPG developer behind Toram Online and Avabel Online. Directly comparable to Winlight as a Japan-based mobile-first MMORPG operator targeting similar fantasy-RPG audiences.
• KLab Inc. Tokyo-listed mobile game developer (Love Live! School Idol Festival, Bleach: Brave Souls). Comparable as a Japan-headquartered studio operating globally distributed mobile games with event-driven live operations.
• Metap Inc. Operator of GensoKishi Online, the blockchain MMORPG that Winlight supports with NFT development and UGC integration. Closely aligned in the Web3 gaming and token-economy space.
• Mynet: Japanese mobile and blockchain gaming company (MyCryptoHeroes). Comparable as a Japan-based studio that has pursued both traditional mobile titles and on-chain gaming infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Animoca Brands: Hong Kong-headquartered Web3 gaming and metaverse investor/operator (The Sandbox, REVV Motorsport). Comparable to Winlight's blockchain gaming and metaverse ambitions, but at substantially greater scale and breadth.
• Konami: Major Japanese gaming group with mobile, console, and competitive mahjong/MLEAGUE exposure. Overlaps with Winlight on console game distribution and on the Jannavi/competitive-mahjong adjacency.
• Square Enix: Japanese gaming incumbent with significant mobile MMORPG output and active blockchain/Web3 initiatives. Comparable broad competitive overlap on console and mobile MMORPG distribution and on Web3 strategy.

Emerging players

• The Sandbox: Decentralized metaverse platform with user-generated content and NFT-based assets. Comparable to Winlight's UGC + NFT integration ambitions via GensoKishi/Elemental Knights R, although at a different scale and stage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Ekoworlds
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDiMKXITG1bXyIvT1pIC_4Q/videos
• Instagraminstagram.com/elemental_knights
• TikToktiktok.com/@ekoworlds?lang=ja-JP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Winlight