A former executive has been executed in China for the calculated murder of Lin Qi, the billionaire founder of the gaming giant Yoozoo Games. The perpetrator, Xu Yao, was convicted of poisoning Lin in 2020 following a professional dispute. The execution, which took place on May 21, was confirmed by the company, which expressed that justice had been served for the loss of their leader.

Lin, who was 39 at the time of his death, was a prominent figure in the gaming industry, best known for developing the strategy game ‘Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming.’ In 2018, he had appointed Xu to manage the Three-Body Universe, a subsidiary dedicated to overseeing projects related to the acclaimed science fiction trilogy ‘Remembrance of Earth’s Past.’ The relationship between the two soured in 2020 when Lin moved to restructure the company’s leadership, sidelining Xu.

In a premeditated act of retaliation, Xu disguised lethal toxins as probiotic pills and administered them to Lin. The gaming mogul fell ill in December 2020 and passed away nine days later. The court described the plot as ‘extremely despicable,’ noting that the poisoning also caused several other individuals to fall ill. At the time of his death, Lin was a significant force in the entertainment world, having secured the rights to the ‘3 Body Problem’ series, which was later adapted into a major hit for Netflix. Lin was posthumously credited as an executive producer on the project.