Nexon posted record-high sales last year. Boosted by the success of the new title "ARC Raiders" and the performance of the long-running intellectual property (IP) "MapleStory" franchise, annual revenue topped 4.5 trillion won. With Nexon settling into the "4 trillion won club" for the second straight year following 2024, it kept its No. 1 spot among Korea's game companies.
◇ Nexon tops 1 trillion won in revenue every quarter last year
On the 12th, Nexon disclosed to the Tokyo Stock Exchange that last year's consolidated 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), edging down slightly over the same period, but the decrease was negligible at under 1%. Net profit fell 32% to 92.1 billion yen (about 873.3 billion won).
The shooting game "ARC Raiders," unveiled by Nexon in Oct., was the top driver of the strong results. Developed by Nexon's Sweden-based subsidiary Embark Studios, "ARC Raiders" has sold over 14 million copies since launch, and last month reached a peak concurrent user count of 960,000, establishing itself as Nexon's next-generation "blockbuster" new IP. Thanks to the success of ARC Raiders, Nexon's fourth-quarter revenue in North America and Europe surged 364% year over year, setting all-time highs for both 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 Jung-heon said on an earnings conference call that day, "ARC Raiders reached 10 million units sold in December and now stands at 14 million, surpassing even our most optimistic projections."
Nexon's three flagship IPs—"MapleStory," "DUNGEON & FIGHTER," and "FC"—also maintained solid growth.
For the "MapleStory" franchise, annual revenue jumped 43%. The growth rate posted 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 fourth-quarter PC bang share topped 45%. Global "MapleStory" revenue grew 24% in one year. For "MapleStory Worlds," annual revenue tripled year over year.
Launched last year, "MapleStory Raising" is gaining popularity, hitting No. 1 in revenue on major app markets despite controversy over probability errors. In an investor letter released alongside the earnings, Nexon said refunds tied to the "MapleStory Raising" probability error controversy reduced revenue by about 14 billion yen (about 1.3 trillion won) in last year's fourth quarter and this year's first quarter.
"DUNGEON & FIGHTER" delivered double-digit annual revenue growth with results in Korea and China. The company said "FC Online" and "Mabinogi Mobile" also contributed to fourth-quarter revenue growth. With stable growth of its flagship IPs, Nexon topped 1 trillion won in revenue in every quarter last year for the first time since its founding.
◇ "In 2026, full push to unearth new IPs"
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 China and plans to release its mobile and PC versions in Korea and global markets as well.
It will also roll out 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 Jung-heon, head of Nexon's Japan entity, said, "Last year's successful launch of ARC Raiders demonstrated Nexon's global competitiveness," adding, "We will deliver greater joy to users at home and abroad through sustained growth of our franchises and by discovering more new IPs."
Meanwhile, Nexon projected first-quarter revenue this year at 150.5 billion to 164 billion yen (about 1.3973 trillion to 1.5229 trillion won), up 32% to 44% year over year based on the quarterly exchange rate. The operating profit outlook was presented at 51.2 billion to 61.1 billion yen (about 475.2 billion to 567.5 billion won).