Cai Haoyu is a Chinese entrepreneur, the co-founder, and controlling shareholder of miHoYo, the massively successful video game developer famous for the global hit Genshin Impact. His background is rooted in elite technical education and a shared passion for ACG (anime, comics, and games) culture.

Cai and his eventual co-founders, Liu Wei and Luo Yuhao, were computer science students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Their collaborative journey began early: their first project, an open-source literature community, won them a scholarship prize of CNY 200,000. In 2011, while still students, they set up the miHoYo studio in their university dormitory, driven by a deep desire to merge their technical skills with their love for Japanese-style animation and gaming.

Cai Haoyu's entrepreneurial path was initially slow and challenging. Their first commercially released game, FlyMe2theMoon (2011), had little financial success, and the three founders had a meager monthly income of only CNY 4,000. They struggled to find investors, often using university startup contests to pitch their ideas. This bootstrapping and technical struggle instilled a relentless focus on product quality and self-reliance.

The massive breakthrough came with the launch of the game Genshin Impact. Cai, serving as the producer, guided miHoYo to build a game that combined stunning open-world design, complex elemental combat, and a free-to-play model that captured a massive global audience. The game became a cultural phenomenon and a financial juggernaut, generating billions in revenue and catapulting Cai to controlling shareholder status (holding 41 percent of the shares). His success is a testament to the profitability of deep-niche specialization and mastering the global online gaming market.

Cai Haoyu's social impact is massive and cultural, stemming from the global phenomenon of Genshin Impact, which influences youth culture and global entertainment consumption. The game's success has provided thousands of high-value technology and creative jobs in Shanghai and beyond.

The company maintains a commitment to community and creative education, reflecting the founders' origins as computer science students. Their early success (winning a scholarship) informs their support for creative and academic ventures, channeling wealth back into the technological and artistic ecosystems that created them.

Cai Haoyu maintains the reserved, intellectual style of a highly successful Chinese technology founder. His attire is consistently professional and understated, favoring smart casual wear that reflects the creative but intense environment of game development. His aesthetic is one of quiet, technical authority.

Residing in Shanghai, China, his luxury is the deep financial security that comes from commanding a global gaming giant. His life is dedicated to merging technical skills with creative passion, turning a shared student interest in ACG culture into one of the world's most profitable entertainment platforms.