Chinese authorities have executed a former gaming executive convicted of murdering billionaire gaming tycoon Lin Qi in a shocking poisoning case that stunned the gaming and entertainment industries.
According to local reports, Xu Yao was executed on 21 May after being found guilty of deliberately poisoning Lin in 2020 following an internal dispute involving the management of the hugely popular science fiction franchise 3 Body Problem.
Xu’s execution was confirmed on Tuesday by Yoozoo Games, which released a statement saying that “justice has ultimately been served”.
The company also paid tribute to Lin, describing him as a respected leader whose loss deeply affected employees and the wider gaming industry.
Lin founded Yoozoo Games, the Shanghai-based gaming company best known internationally for developing Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming.
He was also heavily involved in bringing Chinese sci-fi series 3 Body Problem to global audiences after securing adaptation rights to author Liu Cixin’s acclaimed trilogy Remembrance of Earth’s Past.
The franchise later became the hit 3 Body Problem series produced by Netflix in 2024, with Lin posthumously credited as one of the executive producers.
Court documents revealed that Xu became dissatisfied after Lin allegedly sidelined him from business operations despite his role in helping secure a Netflix deal linked to the adaptation.
In 2018, Xu had been appointed to lead Three-Body Universe, a Yoozoo subsidiary established to oversee projects related to the famous sci-fi franchise.
However, tensions reportedly escalated in 2020 after Lin appointed other executives to oversee company operations.
Local media reported that Xu later disguised toxic substances as probiotic pills before giving them to Lin.
In December 2020, Lin was rushed to hospital after suddenly falling ill and died nine days later at the age of 39.
At the time of his death, Lin was estimated to have a net worth of approximately 6.8 billion yuan, equivalent to around US$941 million.
Police arrested Xu shortly after Lin was hospitalised, while investigations later revealed that several other individuals also became ill as part of the poisoning plot.
Chinese courts described the murder scheme as “extremely despicable” during Xu’s conviction in 2024.
The case drew massive attention across China due to Lin’s influence in the gaming industry and the global popularity of the 3 Body Problem franchise.
Chinese media also reported that one of Xu’s poisoning victims later wrote online that “justice comes in the end, even if it’s late.”
