Nexon surpassed 4 trillion won in annual revenue last year, becoming the first domestic game company to do so. Nexon announced plans to maintain its growth this year by releasing new titles such as 'Mabinogi Mobile,' 'First Berserker: Kazan,' and 'Arc Raiders.'
Lee Jung-heon, head of Nexon Japan Corporation, said on the 13th during a conference call regarding the fourth-quarter performance for 2024, "This year, Nexon will invest significant effort into strengthening and recovering its momentum," and added, "We will strive to provide greater enjoyment to many users through new games based on existing intellectual property (IP) franchises and new IPs."
Nexon recorded annual revenue of 4.1 trillion won and an operating profit of 1.1157 trillion won last year. This marks a 5% increase in revenue compared to the previous year, while operating profit saw an 8% decrease. Fourth-quarter revenue was 729.4 billion won, a 6% decrease from the same period last year, and the company incurred an operating loss of 15.8 billion won.
The three major franchises of Nexon, 'Dungeon & Fighter,' 'MapleStory,' and 'FC,' recorded a 10% increase in revenue, driving the overall performance. In particular, the 'Dungeon & Fighter' IP, benefiting from the release of 'Dungeon & Fighter Mobile,' showed the most significant achievement with a 53% increase in revenue compared to the previous year.
Lee noted that the 'Dungeon & Fighter' metrics in the Chinese market continue to rise. The 'Middle Heaven' for Dungeon & Fighter is a new area that Nexon previewed last November through a showcase. Players can enter the central city 'Inae' of Middle Heaven through the act quest 'City of Promises.' There are six main dungeons linked to Middle Heaven's key content, such as 'Waving Archipelago' and 'Silent Corridor,' along with higher-level dungeons and special dungeons.
Lee stated, "The metrics for Dungeon & Fighter in the China region have been consistently rising since the 'Middle Heaven' update," and emphasized that "the Middle Heaven update has generated an immediate response in Korea, achieving the highest daily active users (DAU) over the past three years." He also expressed confidence in achieving the medium-term goals of the Dungeon & Fighter franchise, saying, "The projects announced in collaboration with Tencent will greatly contribute to localization aspects."
However, Lee allayed concerns regarding the recent decline in the metrics of 'Dungeon & Fighter Mobile,' stating that they are preparing policies to increase user volume. He explained, "In the case of Dungeon & Fighter Mobile, the issue was the lack of content that could satisfy both departing and new users, leading to reduced engagement and traffic that didn't increase as desired," and added, "Since we have an established formula with the existing PC services, we plan to continue updating by renewing it to fit the mobile version."
In the 'MapleStory' IP, overseas revenue for the PC version of 'MapleStory' grew by 24% year-over-year. Notably, it set quarterly revenue records in both the third and fourth quarters in North America and Japan. The 'FC' franchise reported an increase in revenue for the fourth quarter compared to the same period last year.
Regarding the outlook for the FC franchise, Lee said, "The year 2025, leading up to the 2026 World Cup, is expected to be slightly sluggish due to the absence of major football events," but he added, "Since FC is an exclusive game, I believe it will maintain a stable condition this year."
Nexon aims to continue its growth this year through a variety of new titles. First, 'First Berserker: Kazan,' set to be released on the 28th, is a highly anticipated work among gamers. It is a hardcore action RPG featuring the character 'Kazan' from Dungeon & Fighter.
The hardcore action RPG 'First Berserker: Kazan' is set for global release on March 28. A variety of new titles utilizing the Dungeon & Fighter IP are in development, including the open-world action RPG 'Dungeon & Fighter: Arad,' which continues the Dungeon & Fighter universe, and the next-generation 3D action RPG 'Project Overkill' being developed using the Unreal Engine. Also, 'Mabinogi Mobile,' developed by Devcat, inherits one of Nexon's flagship IPs 'Mabinogi' and is slated for release on March 27. Additionally, a new action RPG named 'Vindictus: Defying Fate,' based on the Celtic mythology of 'Mabinogi Heroes,' is in preparation.