Nexon Integrates Netflix's 'Kingdom' into Game... Aiming for a Second Golden Age

Update on the 19th including addition of Kingdom-themed blocks
'Sudden Attack' creates celebrity characters... 2nd place in PC bang market share

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-gyu Lee] Nexon has started integrating content from the popular Netflix drama "Kingdom" into its PC games. The strategy aims to usher in a second golden age by combining entertainment elements such as the drama, which has built a fandom both domestically and internationally, with a long-running game that has been on the market for over 10 years.

According to the gaming industry on the 18th, Nexon is sequentially unveiling content that incorporates the Kingdom intellectual property (IP) into the first-person shooter game "Counter-Strike Online (CS Online)." CS Online is one of Nexon's long-standing PC games, released in December 2007. Kingdom is a zombie thriller set in the Joseon Dynasty palace, where the crown prince uncovers political conspiracies and the secrets behind a nationwide epidemic, gaining great popularity both in Korea and abroad.

Through an update scheduled for the 19th, Nexon plans to add Kingdom-themed blocks to the user map creation content "Studio Mode," allowing players to create royal palaces, castle gates, and hanok (traditional Korean houses). Key characters from Kingdom, such as Jo Hak-ju and Queen Jo, will be introduced as new helper characters (NPCs). Additionally, three types of zombies will be added as new monsters, and battle content based on Kingdom will be released.

Nexon has already introduced zombie skins for the king and female physician in CS Online, and added about 18 types of Joseon-era weapons and costume guns such as the "matchlock gun" and "gat" (traditional Korean hat). New characters include Crown Prince Lee Chang and the mysterious man Young-shin, who possesses exceptional combat skills. A new map called "Joseon Village," inspired by the "Dongnae" village from Kingdom, has also been unveiled.

Nexon is also creating celebrity characters for the first-person shooter game "Sudden Attack." Following recent collaborations with TWICE, IU, and Park Na-rae, they are now utilizing characters from the webtoon "Strangers from Hell." Last month, weathercaster Kim Min-a was introduced as a new character. As a result, Sudden Attack, released in August 2005, recorded a PC bang (internet cafe) market share of 8.38% as of the 16th, surpassing top competitors like "Battlegrounds" to rank second among PC games, demonstrating a strong comeback. The average daily concurrent users earlier this month increased by about 1.5 times compared to the same period last year.

A Nexon official stated, "Collaborating with more mainstream entertainment sectors allows game companies to expand their scope and provide a wider range of fun and satisfaction to a broader audience of gamers, which is very appealing. We expect to see more innovative attempts that can create synergy in the future."