Pro Gamer rpr’s Next Move: Why He Joined a Japanese Company as a Full-Time Employee

Thanks to gaming, I was able to make friends in Japan

“I originally wanted to live in Japan. My father was fond of Japanese culture and history, so we had books on Japanese history at home. Even though Japan is far from Croatia, I felt a certain closeness to it.

When I became a high school student, I started watching Japanese anime and reading manga. That’s when I began thinking, ‘I want to go to Japan.’

For the past few years, I’ve been both a pro player and a streamer for Apex. This game is more popular in Japan than overseas, and a lot of people play it. Thanks to this game, I was able to make friends with Japanese streamers and VTubers. That final push gave me the determination to go to Japan and take on a new challenge.”

To make his move to Japan a reality, rpr started searching for jobs related to eSports, a field he was already involved in. The existing eSports scene in Japan was another reason for his decision to relocate. However, he found that living in Japan as a streamer alone was not a viable option.

“As a streamer, it was difficult to obtain a visa other than a tourist visa. So, I thought that if I joined a company, I would be able to live in Japan. While researching eSports-related companies, my friend Yuriece introduced me to KINOTROPE. Then, the company’s CEO, Ikuta, personally offered me a position, saying, ‘I’d love for you to come to Japan.’ We reached an agreement that worked for both sides, and I decided to join the company.”

Ikuta recalled, “Other eSports-related companies wanted him to continue his activities in Croatia. So, I told him that our company would prepare everything he needed, and we invited him to work with us in Japan.”