Neople's Average Salary Reaches 220 Million Won per Employee
Tops the Industry Thanks to "Dungeon & Fighter" Success... Surpassing Major Conglomerates
Exceptional Benefits Accompanying "Billion-Won Salaries"
Nexon, which became the first domestic game company to surpass 4 trillion won in annual sales last year, continued its strong performance in the first quarter of this year. Its development subsidiary, Neople, recorded an average annual salary of 220 million won per employee last year, largely thanks to the success of the "Dungeon & Fighter" series, ranking first in the game industry. As a result, the company's exceptional welfare benefits, which are based on its commercial success, have become the envy of many office workers.
According to the audit report released on May 15, Neople's average salary per employee as of the end of last year was 218.88 million won. This amount surpasses not only Shift Up, which led listed game companies with an average annual salary of 131 million won, Krafton with 109 million won, and NCSoft with 108 million won, but also well-known conglomerates such as SK Telecom at 161 million won and S-Oil at 154 million won.
This high salary at Neople appears to reflect large-scale performance bonuses resulting from last year's launch of "Dungeon & Fighter Mobile" in China. According to Sensor Tower, "Dungeon & Fighter Mobile" generated $1 billion (1.3 trillion won) in revenue in China within about four months of its release. Although user metrics have declined since the initial launch, the game continues to maintain a steady player base. Thanks to these results, Neople posted 1.3784 trillion won in sales and 982.4 billion won in operating profit last year.
The PC version of "Dungeon & Fighter" also continues to perform well in both the Korean and Chinese markets, serving as Nexon's key cash cow. Marking the 20th anniversary of its domestic service, the large-scale "Jungcheon" update in January triggered a so-called "reverse run" in sales, and the Chinese market also saw a rise in daily active users (DAU) following the New Year's update. "First Berserker: Kazan," a console game developed by Neople and released simultaneously worldwide on March 28, did not meet Nexon's sales expectations, but received favorable reviews from both players and critics, demonstrating the company's development capabilities.
On the back of its strong performance, Neople is actively working to enhance employee welfare and create an optimal work environment. One of its flagship benefits is a housing support program aimed at ensuring employees' residential stability. Unmarried employees are provided with company apartments measuring 89 square meters, while married employees receive apartments of 105 square meters. Employees who prefer other types of housing receive support for housing expenses (such as lease deposits) equivalent to the same size.
Additionally, Neople provides housing support for employees and executives from outside Jeju who work at the Jeju headquarters, and offers one round-trip flight per month between Seoul and Jeju for employees, their spouses, and children. The company also operates a free shuttle bus between company housing and the office, and provides group accident insurance to cover accidents, disasters, and illnesses for employees and their families. Work-life balance is also guaranteed. Neople supports club activity expenses for hobbies such as surfing and fishing, and has introduced a refresh leave policy, granting up to 20 days of leave and up to 5 million won in vacation expenses every three years. Employees are also provided with free lunch and dinner.
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