Nexon subsidiary Neople will pay a total of 60 billion won in the second performance bonus (GI, Growth Incentive) to developers who contributed to the success of 'Dungeon & Fighter Mobile' (hereafter referred to as Dungeon Fighter Mobile) in the Chinese market amid an extended strike. As internal conflicts have deepened, there is industry interest in whether this large-scale reward can provide a turning point for future labor-management negotiations.
According to industry sources on the 31st, this payment is the second of four GIs held based on project contributions since the launch of the Dungeon Fighter Mobile service in China. The company shared this plan with its members through an internal online briefing on the same day.
According to Neople, about 400 members of the Dungeon Fighter Mobile development organization will receive incentives equivalent to 200% of their average annual salary. Outstanding performers (those rated A or above) during the incentive calculation period will receive more than 300% of their average annual salary, with the total payout expected to reach approximately 60 billion won.
Earlier, Neople had also paid more than 100 billion won in the first GI as a reward for the success of Dungeon Fighter Mobile in China back in February. At that time, more than half of the entire development organization received bonuses around 300% of their annual salaries. With the combination of the first and second GIs, it amounts to an average reward of over 500% of the average annual salary per development organization member, equivalent to 6,000% based on monthly wages.
In addition to GI, Neople operates various incentive systems such as KI (KPI Incentive). GI is structured to pay a certain percentage of revenue from successful new projects to participants in those projects, while KI distributes some of the operating profits to non-GI target company-wide employees. Through this system, Neople members can share company profits via either GI or KI.
There is also a perspective that this compensation system essentially overlaps with the union's demand for a '4% PS (Profit Sharing) system' that triggered the long strike. Neople maintains that it is already structured to return performance-based rewards.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Neople's labor and management plan to officially resume negotiations for the first time since the breakdown of this year's collective bargaining agreement on August 1. This resumption of negotiations is said to be initiated at the company's official request, aimed at reducing user inconvenience and stabilizing game services. However, the union has announced its intention to fully shift to a five-day strike starting from August 1, the date of the resumption of negotiations. Due to the decision not to heed the negative public opinion from users regarding the union's activities, it is uncertain whether this negotiation will proceed smoothly.
Currently, Neople is in a situation where it is virtually impossible to recruit new personnel due to the impact of the strike. With a low turnover rate, only minimal recruitment due to retirements can occur. This has become an obstacle to resolving the 'high work intensity' demanded by the union and is cited as a concern among users regarding development delays and service stability issues.