[Concall] NC to Launch 'BLSO2' Within the Year... 'Project TL' Expected Next Year (Comprehensive)

"Lineage 2M Global Expansion, Starting with the Asian Market First"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-gyu Lee] NCSoft (hereafter NC) will release the mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) 'Blade & Soul 2 (B&S2)' in South Korea within this year. 'Project TL,' based on the Lineage intellectual property (IP), is expected to be unveiled around next year.

Yoon Jae-soo, NC's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), stated during a conference call held after the announcement of the first quarter 2020 earnings on the 12th, "We are preparing B&S2 and 'Aion 2' based on the stable revenue streams from 'Lineage M' and 'Lineage 2M,' and we aim to launch B&S2 domestically within this year."

CFO Yoon said, "Since B&S2 is still under development, it is difficult to specify the exact release date, but I think it will be closer to the fourth quarter rather than the third quarter." He added, "B&S2 differs from Lineage 2M in terms of background and graphics," and "It is expected to target a different user base from Lineage M or Lineage 2M."

NC is also developing the next-generation MMORPG 'Project TL' as a multi-platform game for PC and consoles. CFO Yoon explained, "Project TL is progressing well internally," and "We plan to conduct tests related to Project TL within this year." He predicted, "Considering the current development status, a release next year seems highly probable."

Additionally, NC is preparing for the global expansion of Lineage 2M. CFO Yoon said, "We are preparing to enter overseas markets with Lineage 2M within this year," and "The global expansion will likely prioritize the Asian market first, but the specific timing is being considered internally." Lineage 2M led NC's strong performance in the first quarter. NC expects Lineage 2M to maintain stable revenue through the end of this year. CFO Yoon forecasted, "Lineage 2M will be our largest revenue source this year and will continue to generate stable sales until the end of the year."

The performance of Lineage M is also expected to remain strong this year. CFO Yoon stated, "Since the second quarter of 2018, Lineage M has shown stable revenue in the low 200 billion KRW range for two years," and "In the second quarter, various events are planned to celebrate the third anniversary of the service, which will help maintain solid revenue."

Furthermore, NC disclosed that no specific decisions have been made regarding the construction of a new headquarters. CFO Yoon said, "The Pangyo headquarters building has been over capacity for 2 to 3 years, causing employees to work dispersed outside, which reduces efficiency and raises welfare issues, so a new space is needed," and "The Pangyo parking lot site was identified as part of this effort, but there are no concrete progress updates or decisions from Seongnam City yet."

Meanwhile, NC recorded its highest-ever quarterly performance in the first quarter with sales of 731.1 billion KRW and operating profit of 241.4 billion KRW. Sales and operating profit increased by 104% and 204%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.