'National Game' KartRider Ends Service After 18 Years

KartRider (Photo by Nexon)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Nexon's flagship title 'KartRider,' launched in 2004, will be discontinued. This decision was made ahead of the release of the new title 'KartRider Drift' scheduled for January next year.

According to Nexon on the 12th, Jae-yoon Cho, director of Nitro Studio, the developer of the KartRider intellectual property (IP), announced the termination of KartRider service through the official game website the day before.

Director Cho explained, "Discussions about the future of KartRider have been held from various perspectives within Nexon," adding, "We decided to end the service for a new direction and future of the KartRider IP."

He introduced himself as "a rider who has enjoyed KartRider from its launch until now, before being a director," and said, "I joined the development company because I loved KartRider, and whether in happy times, sad times, times of pain, or hardship, I was always with KartRider. Now, it has become the most precious part of my life, so it is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the service termination."

KartRider Drift (Photo by Nexon)

Director Cho said, "I believe it is my duty and courtesy as a director to speak directly to the riders, so I was preparing to share detailed information through a live broadcast showcase on the 5th of next month, after the KartRider League Super Cup finals."

He added, "Through the live broadcast, I will talk about the stories we couldn't share until now and address any questions the riders may have," emphasizing, "I will apologize once again during the live broadcast and provide detailed explanations about the schedule, refund plans, follow-up plans for the league, and separate support measures for the riders."

Director Cho stated, "Until the KartRider service ends, starting with the update on the 22nd, we plan to proceed with the updates we have prepared and promised to the riders," and apologized again, saying, "I am sorry to deliver sad news instead of joyful news to the riders."

Meanwhile, Nexon plans to release KartRider Drift, the sequel to KartRider, in January next year. KartRider Drift will offer higher-quality graphics through 4K resolution and HDR technology and support full cross-play across PC, console, and mobile platforms.