Nexon posted record revenue last year. Boosted by the success of the new title "ARC Raiders" and the long-running intellectual property (IP) "MapleStory" franchise, annual revenue surpassed 4.5 trillion won. With Nexon joining the annual revenue "4 trillion won club" for the second consecutive year following 2024, it maintained its No. 1 position among domestic game companies.
◇ Nexon tops 1 trillion won in revenue every quarter last year
On the 12th, Nexon disclosed to the Tokyo Stock Exchange that, on a consolidation basis last year, revenue rose 6% from a year earlier to 475.1 billion yen (about 4.5072 trillion won). Listed on Japan's securities market, Nexon releases its results in yen. Last year's operating profit was 124 billion yen (about 1.1765 trillion won), a slight decline over the same period, but the decrease was minimal at under 1%. Net profit fell 32% to 92.1 billion yen (about 873.3 billion won).
The shooting game "ARC Raiders," which Nexon rolled out in Oct. last year, was the primary driver of the strong results. Developed by Nexon's Sweden-based subsidiary Embark Studios, "ARC Raiders" has sold more than 14 million copies since launch, and last month it reached a peak concurrent user count of 960,000, cementing its status as Nexon's next-generation "blockbuster-level" new IP. Thanks to the success of ARC Raiders, Nexon's fourth-quarter revenue in North America and Europe surged 364% from a year earlier, resulting in record-high quarterly and annual results in Western markets.
In fact, Nexon's fourth-quarter revenue last year was 123.6 billion yen (about 1.1606 trillion won), up 55% from a year earlier. Operating profit turned to black at 7.2 billion yen (about 674 billion won).
Nexon's management called "ARC Raiders" "the most successful new launch in Nexon's history." Nexon CEO Lee Jeong-heon said on an earnings conference call that day, "ARC Raiders reached 10 million in sales in Dec., and it now stands at 14 million, surpassing even our most optimistic projections."
Nexon's three flagship IPs—"MapleStory," "DUNGEON & FIGHTER," and "FC"—also sustained solid growth.
For the "MapleStory" franchise, annual revenue jumped 43%. The revenue growth rate recorded double digits for four consecutive quarters. A company official said, "The PC version of 'MapleStory' and 'MapleStory Worlds' grew evenly at home and abroad."
By market, Korea's "MapleStory" saw annual revenue rise 78% on the back of major updates, and its PC café share in the fourth quarter last year surpassed 45%. Global "MapleStory" revenue increased 24% year over year. For "MapleStory Worlds," annual revenue tripled from a year earlier.
Despite a probability error controversy, "Maple raising," released last year, is gaining popularity, topping sales on major app markets. In an investor letter released alongside the earnings announcement, Nexon said revenue reductions due to refunds related to the "Maple raising" probability error controversy amounted to about 14 billion yen (about 130 billion won) for the fourth quarter last year and the first quarter this year.
"DUNGEON & FIGHTER" delivered double-digit annual revenue growth with results in both Korea and China. The company said "FC Online" and "Mabinogi Mobile" also contributed to fourth-quarter revenue growth. With steady growth in flagship IPs, Nexon, for the first time since its founding, surpassed 1 trillion won in revenue in every quarter last year.
◇ "In 2026, full-court press to unearth new IP"
This year, Nexon plans to accelerate efforts to secure next-generation growth engines.
On the 6th, Nexon launched the ocean adventure game "DAVE THE DIVER" in the Chinese market and plans to roll out its mobile and PC versions in Korea and global markets as well.
It will also unveil a variety of new titles, including the fantasy-world role-playing game (RPG) "Azure Promilia," the large-scale survival MMO (massively multiplayer online) new title "Project DX," the multiplayer PvPvE zombie survival game "Paradise: LAST PARADISE," and the action RPG "Vindictus: Defying Fate."
Lee Jeong-heon, head of Nexon's Japan unit, said, "Through last year's successful launch of ARC Raiders, we were able to confirm Nexon's global competitiveness," adding, "We will deliver greater enjoyment to users at home and abroad through sustained growth of our franchises and by unearthing more new IPs."
Meanwhile, Nexon forecast first-quarter revenue this year at 150.5 billion–164 billion yen (about 1.3973 trillion–1.5229 trillion won), up 32%–44% year over year based on the quarterly exchange rate. It guided operating profit at 51.2 billion–61.1 billion yen (about 475.2 billion–567.5 billion won).