Nexon Neople Launches Three-Day Full-Scale Strike
"Persistent Overtime and Extra Work... Not Just Demanding Bonuses"
The labor union of Neople, Nexon's core development subsidiary, will launch a full-scale strike for three days, marking the first such action in the history of the domestic gaming industry. Neople is the developer of "Dungeon & Fighter," one of Nexon's flagship games.
The Neople branch of the Nexon chapter of the Korean Federation of Chemical, Textile, and Food Workers' Unions announced on the 24th that it will begin a full-scale strike for three days starting on the 25th. Prior to this, the union will hold a major resolution rally at the Seoul branch office on the 24th and at the Jeju headquarters on the 25th.
Jo Jungwoo, head of the Neople labor union, a Nexon subsidiary, who entered into a dispute in protest of the company's performance bonus system change, is holding a rally and speaking in front of the Seoul branch office building in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News
Neople's headquarters, located in Jeju, is responsible for developing key titles such as the PC version of Dungeon & Fighter, the upcoming "Project Overkill," and the action game "Cyphers." The Seoul branch houses the development teams for "Dungeon & Fighter Mobile" and "First Berserker: Kazan." According to the union, about 60% of the 1,130 total union members work at the Jeju headquarters.
The Neople union previously protested that management had arbitrarily reduced the New Game Incentive (GI), which had been paid based on the performance of new releases. Last year, the company achieved a record-high revenue of 1.3783 trillion won, driven by the success of Dungeon & Fighter Mobile in China. However, the GI, which had been paid in proportion to net profit for two years after a new release, was only paid at two-thirds of the previous amount.
The union stated, "About 400 people, including related departments, developed Dungeon & Fighter Mobile for years without incentives, and compensation is structured to be paid in a lump sum after development is complete." The union further claimed, "The GI was initially set at about 220 billion won, but citing delays in the China release, the payment was reduced to around 150 billion won."
The union has demanded that Neople distribute about 39.3 billion won, equivalent to 4% of last year's operating profit of 982.4 billion won, to employees as a profit-sharing (PS) bonus. The Neople union stated, "Neople has consistently had the highest level of overtime and extra work among group companies," and added, "Especially in the art and media departments, despite high expectations and achievements from users, excessive workloads have led to severe accumulated fatigue."
Regarding reports that Neople's average annual salary last year was 220 million won, the highest in the gaming industry, the union countered, "The average contracted salary is in the 60 million won range, which is lower than that of large IT companies or other gaming firms." The union added, "Although the average compensation rose in 2024, this should be seen as a temporary phenomenon resulting from years of accumulated compensation being paid out at once."
The union emphasized, "Neople workers are raising their voices for respected labor and mutual growth with the local community," and added, "This strike is not just about compensation, but a legitimate call for long-term sustainability."
After the three-day full-scale strike, the union will proceed with a rotating strike, with each organization taking turns striking for a set period. This is the first time that workers in the gaming industry have gone on strike, with Nexon Neople leading the way.
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