[Click eStock] From 'BLSO2' to Lineage2M Taiwan Launch... Emergency Alert for NCSoft

Abundant New Release Momentum... Expectations for Earnings Improvement and Stock Price Increase

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] With growing anticipation for new releases ranging from Blade & Soul 2 to the launch of Lineage 2M in Taiwan, there is a forecast that NCSoft's stock price will show strong performance.

On the 14th, NH Investment & Securities predicted that NCSoft's stock price is poised for a full-fledged upward trend. The analysis points to improved earnings driven by powerful new titles.

First, the release of 'Blade & Soul 2' is expected in the first quarter of next year. As a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) with an oriental-style character design and a lighter gameplay experience compared to the main revenue source, the Lineage series, it is anticipated to attract a more diverse customer base.

Trickster M, developed by subsidiary Ntreev, has also surpassed 3 million pre-registrations. This mobile game utilizes the intellectual property (IP) of the past PC game Trickster. Jaemin Ahn, a researcher at NH Investment & Securities, stated, "Since Nexon previously achieved favorable success with a similar style game, 'The Kingdom of the Winds: Yeon,' it is quite possible for Trickster M to rank within the top 10 in App Store sales."

Attention is also focused on whether 'Aion 2' and Project TL, which have had multiple announcements of planned releases in the past, will launch this year. NCSoft has already announced plans to release these titles on mobile and PC/consoles respectively within this year. Researcher Ahn explained, "Although there is a possibility of another delay to 2022 given the repeated postponements so far, the mere fact that additional new titles are in the pipeline will act as a momentum for stock price growth. Furthermore, new projects not yet disclosed this year are expected to be revealed, continuing the upward trend in stock price."

NH Investment & Securities estimated that NCSoft will record an operating profit of 1.321 trillion KRW next year based on these factors, representing a 55.2% increase compared to this year's forecast. Against this backdrop, they maintained a 'Buy' investment rating and a target stock price of 1,220,000 KRW for NCSoft. The closing price on the previous trading day was 888,000 KRW.

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