MapleStory Domestic Revenue Up 91%
New Titles Including 'Arc Raiders' to Launch in Second Half
'Mabinogi Mobile' Set for Global Release Next Year
"Korea Provides Stable Profit... Compensation System to Remain Unchanged"
Nexon achieved its highest-ever first-half revenue this year, driven by strong performance from its established PC titles, the success of new releases, and the expansion of its global intellectual property (IP) portfolio.
Jungheon Lee, CEO of Nexon Japan, is speaking at the keynote lecture of the Nexon Developers Conference (NDC) held on June 24 at the Creative Economy Innovation Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News
Nexon stated that there is ample room for further growth in the Korean market and that it plans to maintain its existing competitive compensation system to attract talent. The company also aims to launch 'Mabinogi Mobile' globally next year.
Jungheon Lee, CEO of Nexon Japan, said during the company’s second-quarter earnings conference call on the afternoon of the 13th, "There will be no sudden changes to the compensation system," and added, "We are doing our utmost to ensure that games are not interrupted due to the (Neople labor union's) strike." He also stated that there would be no impact on the company’s third-quarter outlook.
On this day, Nexon announced on the Tokyo Stock Exchange that its operating profit for the second quarter of this year was 364.6 billion won (37.7 billion yen), a 17% decrease compared to the same period last year. Revenue for the same period was 1.1494 trillion won (118.9 billion yen), down 3% year-on-year. The exchange rate applied was 967.1 won per 100 yen.
However, for the first half as a whole, revenue reached a record high of 2.231 trillion won (232.8 billion yen, based on the average first-half exchange rate of 958.4 won per 100 yen). Operating profit for the first half was 760.1 billion won (79.3 billion yen), up 7% from the same period last year.
Nexon explained that the strong performance of its flagship PC titles such as 'MapleStory', 'Dungeon & Fighter', and 'FC Online' played a major role.
'MapleStory' saw a 91% increase in domestic revenue. The company stated, "The introduction of a new class and a major system overhaul in the June update received an enthusiastic response," adding, "As a result, MapleStory achieved its highest-ever PC cafe market share (25%), and total IP revenue grew by 60% year-on-year."
'Dungeon & Fighter' also showed clear growth in both Korea and China, with PC version revenue up 67% compared to the same period last year. 'Mabinogi Mobile', which launched in Korea in March, surpassed 1.95 million cumulative subscribers, contributing to the strong performance.
Nexon added, "Mabinogi Mobile differentiates itself from traditional combat-focused MMORPGs with life and community-based content such as gathering, cooking, fishing, and music, which has resonated particularly well with users in their teens and twenties. According to Mobile Index data from June, it ranked first in monthly active users (MAU) among teens in the MMORPG genre, presenting new growth potential in a market previously dominated by users in their 30s and 40s."
Building on this momentum, the company plans to enter the global market next year. CEO Lee noted, "Unusually for an MMORPG, the gender ratio is relatively balanced at 54% male and 46% female," expressing confidence that the game will appeal to latent demand as well.
He also emphasized that Nexon is expanding its diverse IP portfolio in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions. In the second quarter, revenue from North America and Europe increased by 34% year-on-year, while revenue from Southeast Asia, centered on Taiwan, and other regions grew by 51%.
Starting in the second half of the year, Nexon plans to continuously introduce new titles and accelerate efforts to secure the 'next big IP' as a driver of future growth.
The upcoming shooter game 'Arc Raiders', scheduled for release on October 30, successfully completed two technical tests in the second quarter and ranked sixth on Steam’s global wishlist, according to Nexon.
'Maple Story Idle', a MapleStory IP-based title co-developed with Korean game studio Able Games, is also set for global launch in the second half of the year. 'The Finals', currently being prepared with Tencent, began its closed alpha test on August 8 and is accelerating towards official launch in China.
In addition, development is actively underway on a variety of new titles, including the zombie apocalypse survival game 'Paradise: Last Paradise' and Nexon Games’ new action-adventure title 'Woochi the Wayfarer', which was unveiled for the first time on August 12.
CEO Lee stated, "With the full-fledged resurgence of our key titles and the securing of new growth engines, we will further solidify Nexon's position in the global market with a powerful IP lineup."
Meanwhile, Nexon projected third-quarter revenue of between 1.0915 trillion and 1.1902 trillion won (116.6 billion to 127.1 billion yen) and operating profit of between 306.5 billion and 385.3 billion won (32.7 billion to 41.2 billion yen). Based on the projected exchange rate of 936.3 won per 100 yen, these figures represent a 6-14% and 4-12% decrease, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Net profit is expected to be between 247.2 billion and 307 billion won (26.4 billion to 32.8 billion yen).
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