NCSOFT (hereinafter referred to as NC) will make a full-fledged rebound in 2025 by unveiling five new titles. NC plans to introduce new games such as "Aion 2," "LLL," "Tactan," "Breakers," and "Time Takers" to the global market within this year. The genres of the new titles being prepared vary from their specialty, MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), to shooting, RTS (real-time strategy), and subculture. The market is growing increasingly expectant of NC’s transformation as it forays into new markets with different genres.
According to the gaming industry on the 3rd, NC has long been known as a powerhouse of MMORPGs and has dominated the mobile MMORPG market. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall gaming industry has experienced a downturn and intensified competition has arisen in the domestic market with the influx of foreign game companies. After experiencing a sales decline, NC began starting a restructuring process through various methods, including investment and spin-offs, and has been unveiling the results since last year.
All the new titles scheduled for release next year, except for Aion 2, represent genres that NC is exploring for the first time. To quickly develop games in line with trends in new genres, NC has also aimed to transform into an independent studio system. "LLL" and "Tactan" are being developed under newly established independent studios named "Big Fire Games" and "Rudius Games," respectively. The plan is to establish a creative development environment exclusive to independent studios and pursue fast-paced game development through quick decision-making.
In addition to self-developed intellectual property (IP), NC has also sought external IP infusion. Last year, NC invested in four game studios. In August, it made equity investments and initial investments in "Big Game Studio" and "Moon Rover Games," respectively. By the end of the year, it invested in "Mistil Games" and "Virtual Alchemy" to secure publishing rights for new IPs. The genres of the IP being developed in the studios that received investments are all different. This shows NC's commitment to continue investing in studios with expertise in various genres to secure global gaming competitiveness.
NC’s 2025 is expected to be a stark contrast to its previous business strategy, which focused on the domestic market. It is venturing into emerging markets with a diverse pipeline. Through the joint venture "NCV GAMES," established with VNG, a representative comprehensive IT company in Vietnam, NC will enter the Southeast Asian market. NC plans to launch its games this year in six major Southeast Asian countries: Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines, starting with Lineage 2M.
Through its investment in the Polish game company Virtual Alchemy, NC is also establishing a foothold for entry into Eastern Europe. According to market research firm Statista, the expected revenue of the Eastern European gaming market will reach $3.332 billion in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 7.55%, forecasting a market size of $41.45 billion by 2027.
NC has chosen "rearming with a venture spirit" as its management keyword for the new year in 2025. Co-CEOs Kim Taek-jin and Park Byung-moo noted in their New Year's address that "to set a turning point for growth, all members must make sacrifices," and emphasized that "NC must rearm with the venture spirit it started out with."