Nexon Reports 3Q Operating Profit of 313.7 Billion KRW, Up 8% YoY... "Securing Growth Momentum with New Releases" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Nexon achieved strong third-quarter results, surpassing both revenue and operating profit forecasts, driven by the recovery in sales of games launched in China and the steady growth of its steady sellers.

Nexon announced on the 9th that its consolidated revenue for the third quarter of this year reached 798 billion KRW, with an operating profit of 313.7 billion KRW. Revenue decreased by 4% compared to the same period last year, while operating profit increased by 8%.

The third quarter of this year highlighted the performance of Nexon's core intellectual property (IP) games. In particular, 'Dungeon & Fighter' in the Chinese market and 'MapleStory' in Korea showed remarkable revenue recovery, while steady seller games such as 'FIFA Online 4' and 'Sudden Attack' maintained stable growth.

Especially in China, after Neople's General Director Yoon Myung-jin, who was appointed in August, returned to Dungeon & Fighter, system reforms and content updates based on user feedback received positive responses from users. As a result, strong sales of the National Day package led to a 45% growth.

Domestically, MapleStory also actively communicated with users and sequentially implemented updates to improve gameplay. Through continuous close responses and expansion of new content, positive reactions from users were drawn out, resulting in a clear recovery that greatly exceeded expectations, with summer and Chuseok events gaining great popularity.

Growth in steady seller PC online game sales stood out. 'FIFA Online 4' achieved growth exceeding forecasts, supported by the success of the summer event 'SUMMER FEASTA' and the release of new 'EBS (European Best Stars)' and 'BOE21 (Best Of Europe 2021)' classes.

Domestic 'Dungeon & Fighter' also grew 22% year-over-year, thanks to the new job update 'Blade' and the '16th Anniversary Event,' while 'Sudden Attack' recorded a 211% growth compared to the same period last year, achieving double-digit growth for seven consecutive quarters.

'Sudden Attack' maintained second place in PC bang rankings throughout the third quarter, fueled by content updates such as 'Sudden Pass 2021 Season 3 Zenith,' 'Sudden Pass 2021 Season 4 Butterfly Effect,' and the popular 16th-anniversary 'Great Exploration FESTIVAL! Event.'

Nexon plans to secure growth momentum with diverse genres and cross-platform new titles. 'Blue Archive,' which was simultaneously launched globally in 237 countries including Korea, North America, Taiwan, and Thailand on this day, attracted over 1 million pre-registrations since the pre-registration began on the 14th of last month, raising expectations.

The multiplatform new title 'KartRider: Drift,' based on the 'KartRider' IP with 380 million users, is preparing for its third global test. The upcoming test, scheduled from the 9th to the 15th of next month, will support PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 (PS4), focusing on verifying the technical stability of PC and console cross-play, as well as the environment and driving feel necessary for beginners to easily settle into the game.

Nexon raised expectations by revealing information about major projects in this third quarter. First, 'Project HP (tentative title),' which successfully completed its pre-alpha test in August, is a PC game set in a medieval battlefield within a fantasy world featuring hero worship, where more than 30 users engage in large-scale melee combat. It challenges the unique genre of close-combat PvP (player versus player) action, attracting significant attention from gamers during the test period.

Netmarble's highly anticipated 'Project Magnum' is also drawing great expectations from global users. Despite limited information being released, the Project Magnum trailer posted on PlayStation's official YouTube channel last month surpassed 1.6 million views within a week. This is the most viewed PlayStation YouTube video in the third quarter of this year.

Owen Mahony, CEO of Nexon Japan, said, "The third quarter reaffirmed the sustainable growth potential of major titles such as 'MapleStory' and 'Dungeon & Fighter.' Moving forward, we will implement multifaceted growth strategies to secure new IPs, strengthen live service capabilities, and enhance financial investment performance and shareholder value."

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