Chinese authorities have executed Xu Yao, the former CEO of Three-Body Universe, following his conviction in the murder case involving Yoozoo Games founder Lin Qi, bringing one of the gaming industry’s most shocking and tragic incidents to a close more than five years later.
According to reports from Chinese media, Xu Yao was executed on May 21, 2026, after being convicted back in 2024, while Three-Body Universe later confirmed that “justice has finally been served” in an official public statement released this week.
The Heart of the Case
The case goes back to late 2020 and remains one of the most shocking incidents the gaming industry has ever seen. Lin Qi, the billionaire founder of Yoozoo Games and a major force behind The Three-Body Problem adaptations, suddenly fell critically ill in December 2020 and later passed away at the age of 39.
While the death seemed normal at first, it was quickly revealed that there was foul play. Investigators later concluded that the poisoning had been carried out by Xu Yao, a former executive at Three-Body Universe, a Yoozoo subsidiary created to manage and expand the Three-Body franchise globally.
Reports from Chinese media stated that tensions between the two had grown after Xu was sidelined internally, faced a major salary reduction, and was expected to lose influence within the company shortly after helping secure Netflix’s adaptation deal for the Three-Body Problem.
According to court findings, Xu spent months carefully planning the attack. He reportedly purchased toxic substances online, tested poisons in a private laboratory, and disguised them as probiotic supplements while also contaminating office coffee capsules, water containers, tea, and whiskey bottles.
Several employees became sick, though they later recovered. Lin Qi, however, passed away on Christmas Day 2020 after being hospitalized.
The case shocked not only the Chinese gaming industry but also the wider entertainment world due to the disturbing details surrounding the poisoning and the high-profile status of both individuals involved.
Lin Qi’s Three-Body Vision Continues Beyond the Tragedy
Lin Qi was widely known for aggressively pushing the global expansion of The Three-Body Problem IP, based on Liu Cixin’s legendary science fiction trilogy. He had acquired the adaptation rights years earlier and established Three-Body Universe to turn the franchise into a globally recognized entertainment property.
Even after his passing, the project continued growing internationally. Tencent’s 2023 television adaptation became a major success in China, while Netflix’s global adaptation, released in 2024, introduced the franchise to a much wider international audience.
The IP has since expanded across television, games, VR experiences, exhibitions, audiobooks, and other entertainment formats. Yoozoo itself has also slowly recovered operationally over the last two years, with the company recently reporting stronger financial performance and increasing overseas revenue.
What remains most remembered, however, is Lin Qi’s long-term ambition to turn The Three-Body Problem into a globally influential Chinese science fiction brand, something many within the industry still see continuing today despite the tragedy surrounding its history.
