'Seolsanggasang' Nexon... "If a class action lawsuit is filed, they may have to pay up to 10 billion won in compensation"

MapleStory Cube Probability Manipulation Case Under Appeal
Potential for Class Action Lawsuit if Users Win

Nexon, which was fined over 10 billion KRW by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) for manipulating the probabilities of "probability-based items" in MapleStory, is expected to face an additional burden of up to 10 billion KRW. This is because users are highly likely to file a class-action lawsuit based on the KFTC’s ruling.

On the 9th, Lee Cheol-woo, the legal representative for the users in the MapleStory Cube probability manipulation case, stated, "Since the fine imposed is the largest ever for violations of the Electronic Commerce Act as well as sanctions against individual game companies, it will significantly impact related lawsuits going forward."

Previously, the KFTC confirmed that Nexon violated Article 21, Paragraph 1 of the Electronic Commerce Act during the operation of its flagship games MapleStory and Bubble Fighter, and imposed a prohibition order along with a fine of 11.642 billion KRW.

If Nexon is held liable for compensation through a class-action lawsuit, the amount could reach tens of billions of KRW, potentially exceeding 10 billion KRW. Attorney Lee estimated, "There are approximately 2,000 to 3,000 victims. Notably, some users spent up to 280 million KRW over a year purchasing Cubes." He added, "Nexon may have to pay compensation exceeding the fine imposed by the KFTC."

The YMCA Game Consumer Center also emphasized the need for punitive damages against Nexon, stating, "Separate from the KFTC’s measures, consumer damage relief remains unresolved. Victims must file lawsuits themselves and win to receive monetary compensation."

The core of the controversy was the probability-based item called the "Cube." In May 2010, Nexon introduced the Cube to exploit users’ desire to quickly enhance their in-game character stats in MapleStory, encouraging repeated purchases to increase revenue.

At the time of the Cube’s introduction, Nexon initially set the option appearance probabilities evenly but adjusted them four months later by weighting popular options to appear less frequently. However, Nexon did not notify users about these probability adjustments.

From August 2011 to March 2021, Nexon changed the winning probability of certain highly favored duplicate options, known as "Bobobo" (additional boss damage) and "Dedede" (increased item drop rate), to 0%, making them impossible to obtain. Again, Nexon did not disclose these probability changes and falsely announced that "the Cube function has not changed and remains the same as before."

The KFTC’s decision is expected to significantly influence the ongoing Cube probability manipulation lawsuit. The first-instance court ruled that Nexon’s failure to inform users that the "Bobobo" option would not appear did not constitute fraudulent misrepresentation under civil law. However, the appellate court overturned this ruling, judging that Nexon’s actions intentionally and actively deceived users by inducing or neglecting their gambling tendencies and sunk cost fallacies, resulting in a partial victory for the plaintiffs. Attorney Lee said, "If the Supreme Court also sides with the users, the impact will be enormous," adding, "There is a high possibility that a consumer class-action lawsuit will follow."

Nexon has previously announced legal countermeasures against the KFTC’s fine, stating, "Our explanations were not sufficiently accepted during the KFTC’s review process." The company is considering filing an objection or administrative litigation against the KFTC’s decision.