YJ Games, Devsisters, and Underdog's Era of Success... Rising Expectations for Upcoming Titles

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] YJM Games is showing concrete results five years after entering the mobile game business.

On the 3rd, according to YJM Games and Google Play, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) 'Soulworker Academia' ranked first among popular apps/games.

Soulworker Academia is a mobile game based on the intellectual property (IP) of the popular PC online game ‘Soulworker.’ It is a highly anticipated title for the first half of this year, capturing the original’s thrilling action and hand-drawn style cartoon rendering graphics.

YJM Games changed its name from Youngback CM in March 2016 and incorporated all the know-how accumulated through its mobile game business. YJM Games has released various games including collectible mobile RPGs, virtual reality (VR) action RPGs, PlayStation (PS) VR games, and strategy simulations. They also adapted games like 'Samgukji Inside,' which succeeded in China, to fit domestic conditions.

While YJM Games has shown potential through Soulworker, they are also preparing their next title. As the number one VR game developer in Korea, YJM Games is entering the console game market in partnership with Action Square.

Action Square is developing the top-down shooting action game 'ANVIL.' 'ANVIL' is planned to be released as a cloud game via Xbox and Game Pass Ultimate. Game Pass Ultimate is a service that allows users to enjoy games without additional costs.

With the spotlight on 'Oculus Quest 2,' expectations for YJM Games’ VR game development capabilities are growing. This is because as the adoption rate of VR devices increases, the potential for VR game success also rises.

An industry insider explained, "'Soulworker Academia' has taken over the popularity baton from Devsisters’ 'Cookie Run: Kingdom' and is maintaining the number one spot," adding, "Underdogs in the gaming industry like YJM Games and NPIXEL are continuing their hit streak." They further added, "We expect a new wave in the gaming industry through the rapid rise of underdog game companies."