[Exclusive] "10 Million Won Account Lost" Nexon Faces 'Account Suspension' Controversy This Time

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Nexon's popular game "MapleStory," which previously faced controversy over probability-based items, is now embroiled in a controversy over "account suspension."

According to the gaming industry on the 15th, some MapleStory users are protesting after receiving "permanent account suspension" measures. Users claim they are unfairly unable to use their accounts without knowing the reason. Some users even filed a civil mediation with the Seoul Central District Court against Nexon Korea on the 12th.

The affected users claim Nexon's "mistaken sanctions." Nexon cited "client modification and server hacking" as reasons for the "permanent account suspension," but the users deny any such actions. Furthermore, when users requested detailed explanations, Nexon repeatedly responded that "it is impossible to provide guidance as it could be misused to circumvent enforcement."

University student Lee Ji-hoon (alias, 28) said, "My ID, valued at about 10 million KRW, was permanently suspended," adding, "I inquired with Nexon for 40 days and appealed my unfair situation, but ultimately concluded that there was no option but to take legal action." Lee, who applied for civil mediation, intends to proceed with a lawsuit if the issue is not resolved.

Office worker Kim Myung-hak (alias, 30) is in a similar situation. Last month, Kim's MapleStory account was permanently suspended without explanation. After finding evidence to support his claim of "mistaken sanction" and making strenuous efforts including visiting Nexon's headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, the sanction was reduced to a "15-day suspension." Kim lamented, "Most victims do not know why their accounts were suspended and cannot present evidence. It is an abuse of power by the game company to suspend accounts innocently and then require users to prove the reason to lift the suspension."

Photo by User Submission

According to users' testimonies, it is estimated that about 30 MapleStory users have suffered similar damages like Lee and Kim. However, most of them have not received detailed reasons for their account suspensions from Nexon and have had to give up their accounts without any opportunity to explain. Along with the account suspension, they also lose game items in which they invested hundreds of thousands to millions of KRW.

A Nexon representative stated, "To maintain order within the game, we take disciplinary actions against abnormal game usage based on monitoring and game records in accordance with the terms of service," adding, "We also conduct re-verification for accounts that inquire about mistaken sanctions."

Meanwhile, conflicts with users continue due to Nexon's recent game operation policies. On the 5th, Nexon Korea CEO Lee Jung-heon issued an apology amid the controversy over "probability-based items." It was revealed that some items in MapleStory, such as "Flame of Reincarnation," did not originally have the same probability, raising suspicions of probability manipulation. Additionally, Nexon did not notify users in advance about options with a 0% chance of winning, prompting users to threaten legal action in protest.

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