User metrics for Nexon's flagship mobile games "Mabinogi Mobile" and "Maple Idle" are plunging at the same time, signaling a crisis. "Mabinogi Mobile," which succeeded at the box office and even won the Presidential Award at the Korea Game Awards last year, has recently seen its user numbers fall quickly, and the idle role-playing game (RPG) "Maple Idle" also showed a clear decline in users after a probability error controversy and a mass refund episode. With operational controversy and trust issues overlapping, Nexon's mobile live-service capabilities are being put to the test.
According to Mobile Index, an app statistics analysis platform, on the 6th, the domestic monthly active users (MAU) of "Mabinogi Mobile" stood at 518,350 as of Feb. Compared with the 1,235,562 recorded in Apr. last year, soon after launch, the user base has fallen to less than half in about 10 months.
Mabinogi Mobile quickly built its user base right after launch. MAU jumped from 689,752 in Mar. last year to 1,235,562 in Apr., and it sustained 1,003,062 in May, raising hopes of a hit. However, user numbers steadily declined afterward and plunged into the 500,000 range this year.
Analysts say internal operations, rather than external conditions, drove the user decline. Since launch, Mabinogi Mobile has faced repeated controversy over its operational approach and content structure. In particular, the "Weka Auction House" system introduced in Nov. last year sparked a controversy over inducing spending by adding an item-to-item transaction function between users. Debate also continued over whether a structure that allows items to be traded via auction using currency obtainable with real money is appropriate for a game rated for ages 12 and up.
As the controversy grew, Nexon scrapped the feature in just over a month. But criticism of the operating method and lack of communication continued, and observers say user trust was also shaken. In fact, the "2026 Town Hall Delegation," comprised of Mabinogi users, plans to hold a rally on the 6th in front of Nexon's headquarters in Pangyo, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to demand an official town hall with development and operations leaders in attendance.
Another Nexon mobile title, "Maple Idle," is also seeing a distinct drop in users. Maple Idle's MAU fell from 1,004,181 in Nov. last year to 800,200 in Dec., then to 732,487 in Jan. this year, and fell further to 494,671 in Feb. The user base shrank to about half in roughly three months.
Observers say the slide is not unrelated to the recent probability error controversy. After a probability-setting error was found in the character stats system, backlash spread among users, and Nexon took the unusual step of offering full refunds of all payments since launch. In the industry, some projected the refund total could reach as much as 200 billion won.
The refund decision was aimed at restoring user trust, but concerns are also being raised that the game's user base itself could be shaken. While accounts are restricted if a refund is requested, analysts say the probability controversy and the refund episode itself had a significant impact on the game's image.
A game industry official said, "Keeping users after an initial hit is crucial, and if operational issues repeat, churn can accelerate," and added, "In particular, the more famous the intellectual property (IP) a game is based on, the higher user expectations are, so reactions tend to be stronger when controversy arises."