Korean game companies have rolled out a slew of new titles in the second half, moving to target markets at home and abroad. With sales stalled due to a lack of new releases in the first half, they are seeking a rebound in results by expanding into global markets in the latter half. To that end, they are reusing popular intellectual property (IP) or strengthening localization strategies, drawing positive responses from the outset.
As of the 26th, according to the game industry, new titles recently released by Korean game companies are scoring early box-office success. Kakao Games' new mobile action role-playing game (RPG) Goddess Order, released on the 24th, topped the popularity rankings on Google Play in Korea and Taiwan within a day of its global launch and has maintained the No. 1 spot. The game is a side-scrolling action RPG rendered in retro-style 2D pixel graphics, optimized for mobile with combat based on precise controls such as evasion and counterattacks. Without auto-battle, it features a "tag battle" system that lets players freely switch among three characters in combat.
Netmarble simultaneously released the collection RPG Seven Knights Rebirth globally on the 18th. According to mobile market research firm Sensor Tower, the game currently ranks No. 1 in revenue in Thailand and Hong Kong and has entered the top 100 revenue charts in 23 countries. In particular, in Thailand and Hong Kong, cumulative revenue is expected to surpass 10 billion won less than a week after launch. The new title leverages Netmarble's flagship intellectual property (IP), Seven Knights. Since its global launch in 2015, Seven Knights topped the revenue charts on app stores in Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore and surpassed a cumulative 100 million downloads worldwide, proving its box-office appeal.
WEBZEN launched the idle RPG MU: Pocket Knights, which uses its flagship IP MU, in more than 140 countries including Korea, the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. The game hit No. 1 on Google Play's popularity rankings on the 21st and currently stands at No. 4. It also reached No. 1 on Japan's Apple App Store popularity rankings. The new title aims for differentiation by combining the light, fast play typical of idle games with massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) elements. It reinterprets the MU knighthood's classes—Dark Knight, Fairy, Magic Gladiator, and Dark Wizard—as SD characters and offers a simple combat structure of continuous monster hunts based on 2D graphics.
Com2uS released two new titles in the second half. The new MMORPG The Starlight climbed to No. 1 on Google Play Store's popularity rankings right after launch and ranked as high as No. 7 in revenue on Apple's App Store, placing in the upper tier. Set in a multiverse where multiple dimensions intertwine, the game follows chosen heroes on a journey to find the starlight and was one of the most anticipated releases of the second half. Starseed, which Com2uS launched in Japan on the 11th, also reached No. 1 on the local Apple App Store popularity rankings within a week of release. Com2uS said its localization strategy—empathy-driven content valued by Japanese users, participation by Japanese voice actors, and high-quality animation—proved effective.
Some companies are accelerating with promotions and final testing this month ahead of releases just around the corner. NCSOFT will simultaneously launch the highly anticipated Aion 2 in Korea and Taiwan on Nov. 19. Smilegate will release the dark fantasy roguelike RPG Chaos Zero Nightmare (Kazena) globally on Oct. 22.
The domestic game industry suffered weak results due to a lack of new releases in the first half and the base effect of last year's major hits. With many new titles launching this month and scoring early success, expectations for a rebound in results are growing. The third quarter is traditionally a peak season for the game industry, when major companies bolster their lineups to reverse performance. With overseas revenue shares rising in particular, game companies are targeting the global market by leveraging popular IP or through localization strategies.
An industry official said, "The first half of this year was challenging due to a lack of new releases and the impact of an economic slowdown, but expectations in the industry are rising as major new titles have been launching one after another in the second half," while also noting, "The initial numbers for recently released titles are good, but what matters is whether they sustain popularity over the long term, so it will be important to watch future results."