[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Webzen announced on the 7th that its second-quarter sales reached 60.2 billion KRW, and operating profit was 16.4 billion KRW, representing increases of 38.7% and 76.2% respectively compared to the previous year.
Webzen's strong performance was driven by the expansion of the 'MU' intellectual property (IP) business, reflecting the success of the mobile game 'MU Archangel' released in May.
'MU Archangel' ranked 3rd in Google Play Store sales immediately after its release and has maintained 6th place since then, leading Webzen's revenue growth in the first half of the year.
Webzen's long-running PC online game 'Metin2' also supported the performance increase, with sales more than doubling (156%) compared to the same period last year, mainly in overseas markets.
Webzen plans to launch the new mobile game 'R2M (Reign of Revolution Mobile)' in the third quarter of this year, aiming for a leap forward in the second half.
By making 'R2M', which uses the game IP of its PC online game 'R2', a hit, Webzen plans to secure a successful IP following its flagship game 'MU'. In addition, Webzen is directly developing more than three new games, including the strategy game from its subsidiary 'Webzen Wormsmith', and continues to invest in development while focusing on diversifying its game IP business.
Kim Tae-young, CEO of Webzen, said, "In the first half, we closely monitored the spread of COVID-19 and responded to crisis management, dedicating company-wide efforts to ensure that game development and new releases were not hindered. Considering domestic and international market conditions in the second half, we will prepare for the release of new games including 'R2M' and new business ventures to achieve a quantum jump in corporate value and growth potential."
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