At 3:00 a.m. on July 20 (next Monday), the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup final will pit defending champion Argentina against European champion Spain. Even though the match is taking place thousands of miles away, it has already sparked a competition among three domestic gaming companies to offer holiday perks.
NetEase: From “Conditional School Closures” to “Unconditional School Closures”
NetEase was the catalyst for this round of time-off perks. Before the semifinals, NetEase set a condition: if the French and Argentine national teams—with which it had signed contracts for three consecutive tournaments—met in the final, all employees would receive a half-day off on the morning of July 20. However, the French team lost 0–2 to Spain, so the condition was not met.
However, the situation took a sudden turn. NetEase subsequently announced that, regardless of the outcome, all employees would have the morning of July 20 off, accompanied by the caption: “In soccer, there are winners and losers, but passion knows no winner or loser.”
37 Interactive Entertainment: CEO Gives the Go-Ahead for the Holiday
37 Interactive Entertainment took a more decisive approach. On July 15, the company issued a direct announcement: All employees would receive a paid day off on the morning of July 20, with no need to clock in. There were no prerequisites. Rumor has it that the boss made the decision with just one sentence: “We’re giving everyone the day off because the World Cup final is in the early hours of that morning.”
According to reports, as early as the 2018 World Cup, 37 Interactive Entertainment had already implemented a policy allowing employees to arrive late. It is worth noting that 37 Interactive Entertainment has consistently maintained a policy of letting employees leave work two hours early on traditional holidays.
Lingxi Interactive Entertainment: The Third Company to Follow Suit, Also Featuring “CEO Privileges”
Lingxi Interactive has also joined the trend of granting time off, packaging it as a special gamified “dungeon quest” and announcing a half-day off for employees on the day of the World Cup final under the guise of “the CEO handing out perks.” The company’s official WeChat account stated, “We don’t know who will win the World Cup, but the important thing is that Lingxi is giving us the day off.”
AviaGames: We’re on vacation, too
AviaGames, a major player in the global expansion of skill-based gaming, has also announced that it will be closed on the morning of the 20th. AviaGames’ titles *Solitaire Clash* and *Bingo Tour* are extremely popular in North America and consistently rank in the top 10 of their respective genres.
Mutong Technology: Watching the Game Means Eating Well and Having Fun
Mutoon Technology has also just issued an announcement stating that all employees will have a half-day off on the morning of July 20. Mutoon also noted that Friday’s afternoon tea has been upgraded to a “World Cup snack pack,” encouraging employees to take it home to enjoy while watching the games.At the same time, Mutong didn’t forget to promote its own MLBB International Women’s Invitational (MWI) Finals, which will kick off this weekend.
As of now, five gaming companies—NetEase, 37 Interactive Entertainment, Lingxi Interactive Entertainment, AviaGames, and Mutong—have successively granted their employees time off on the morning of July 20, allowing them to sit back and watch the final whistle blow.
A History of Creative Vacation Policies at Game Companies
In fact, it’s nothing new for game companies to grant their employees temporary time off for special reasons.
In 2023, *Honkai: Star Rail* launched its open beta, and competitors took the day off to experience the game;In 2024, on the day *Black Myth: Wukong* launched, the game’s publisher, Gamera Games (now Gamirror Games), announced a one-day company-wide holiday, and each employee received a digital deluxe edition of the game.
There have also been reports of game companies overseas taking time off in connection with the release of major titles such as *Cyberpunk 2077* and *Elden Ring*.
Of course, offering time off is not only a way to “pamper employees,” but also part of an employer’s ongoing efforts to build a positive image. For game companies, people are their core asset. Granting a half-day off for the World Cup final helps boost employee goodwill and demonstrates the company’s robust benefits program.
原创文章，作者：gallonwang，禁止转载：https://youxichaguan.com/en/archives/208355
