This year's top honor at the Korea Game Awards went to "Mabinogi Mobile" by DevCAT, a Nexon subsidiary. Nexon swept the ceremony with six wins, including the top excellence award for "First Berserker: Kazan" by another subsidiary, Neople, making it "Nexon's year."
The 2025 Korea Game Awards, held on the afternoon of the 12th at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO) in Haeundae District, Busan, opened in spectacular fashion with the OST of "Stellar Blade," which won last year's technical creativity award (sound). Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Association of Game Industry, the Korea Game Awards is the country's most prestigious game awards, honoring domestically developed titles released over the year. It is known as the eve event of G-STAR, the nation's largest game exhibition.
The grand prize, top excellence, and excellence awards—core categories of the Game Awards—are determined by 50% main jury evaluation, 25% public voting, and 25% media voting. Starting this year, the evaluation method was partly revised to increase the weight of public and media votes, reflecting game users' voices more. At this year's awards, Nexon won six crowns, Netmarble took three, and NEOWIZ claimed two.
This year's grand prize went to "Mabinogi Mobile." Kim Dong-gun, CEO of DevCAT, who held the trophy and bouquet that day, said, "It took a really long time to make this game. I am grateful to everyone who made it together and to Nexon for its unwavering support," adding, "Above all, I believe we made this award together with you 'Adventurers.'" Kim continued, "The concept of Mabinogi is 'an old legend my grandmother told me,' but my grandmother passed away during development," and added, "I am thinking of her a lot right now." "Mabinogi Mobile" won three crowns, taking the grand prize along with the planning and scenario award and the sound award.
Released in March this year, "Mabinogi Mobile" is a mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). It inherits and reinterprets the intellectual property (IP) of the original "Mabinogi," which Nexon introduced in 2004. Based on life-skill content and enhanced community features, it received positive reviews from users. Its business model (BM), which reduces payment pressure, was also well received. As a result, it has maintained top ranks in sales and popularity in Korea's mobile game market. In particular, more than half of its users are in their teens and 20s.
The top excellence award went to "First Berserker: Kazan" by Nexon's Neople; the game also took the technical creativity award in graphics, while voice actor Lee Hyun, who played the in-game character "Blade Phantom," won the newly established popular voice actor award, securing three crowns. Neople CEO Yun Myeong-jin said, "We are very grateful and happy that 'Kazan,' our first package game, received such a major award," adding, "We will strive to become exceptional developers who continue to make many good games and provide strong service going forward."
Netmarble's "Seven Knights Rebirth," which rose as a strong contender alongside Mabinogi Mobile for this year's grand prize, received an excellence award. The game also won the popular game award. Netmarble's "RF Online Next" and NEOWIZ's "Lies of P: Overture" also received excellence awards. Lies of P: Overture won two crowns with the technical creativity award in the character category.
The startup company award went to Dobicanvas. Dobicanvas CEO Lee Jae-hoon said, "The existing game industry is capital-intensive," and noted, "We wanted to show the possibility that AI can enable making games even without money." Shim Eun-seop, CEO of Lizard Smoothie's "Shape of Dreams," earned the indie game award and the excellence developer award for two crowns. Shim said, "I am grateful to the users. The game received love beyond its merits," adding, "I joined to simply build an employment portfolio, but as I grew attached to my game and kept expanding it, we ended up with a good result."
Minister Chae Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in congratulatory remarks read by Content Policy Bureau Director Choi Sung-hee, said, "Over the past 20 years, technology and everyday life have changed, and games are transforming into a new stage of complex media industry," adding, "Games meeting new AI technologies are taking their place as 21st-century culture and art." The minister continued, "Games are a core content industry and an export driver that contributes to economic development," and emphasized, "The government will work to strengthen the industrial ecosystem by improving outdated systems and regulations and ramping up investment."