MapleStory 'Probability Manipulation'... 1,000 Users File Class Action Lawsuit Against Nexon

Lawsuit for Compensation and Refund Claims
Fair Trade Commission Imposes 11.6 Billion KRW Fine on Nexon Last Month

Users of Nexon's online game 'MapleStory' have launched a class-action lawsuit regarding Nexon's item probability manipulation, which was uncovered during an investigation by the Fair Trade Commission.

On the 19th, 508 MapleStory users filed a lawsuit against Nexon Korea at the Suwon District Court Seongnam Branch, seeking damages and refunds. The plaintiffs argue that Nexon violated the Electronic Commerce Act by either failing to notify MapleStory users of changes to item probabilities or providing false information, and that Nexon is liable for compensation for not informing users of significant changes in the terms and conditions. They also added that such actions constitute grounds for contract cancellation and refund due to fraud.

Attorney Lee Cheol-woo, representing the lawsuit, told reporters after submitting the complaint, "We want to instill the perception that when game companies manipulate item probabilities, consumers can directly file for damages, thereby raising public awareness and prompting issues." Attorney Lee stated that the number of users who have expressed their intention to participate in the lawsuit, including the current plaintiffs, reaches about 1,000. The amount claimed in the lawsuit filed on this day is approximately 250 million KRW, which is about 10% of the purchase amount of approximately 2.5 billion KRW claimed by the plaintiffs.

Attorney Lee explained, "This amount was calculated considering existing precedents," adding, "If additional plaintiffs join, the total claim amount is expected to exceed 500 million KRW." He continued, "We plan to submit a second complaint before June 4, when the statute of limitations expires." Eligible purchasers to participate as plaintiffs are all consumers who bought the 'Cube' item in MapleStory between March 2014 and March 2021 without knowing that certain options did not appear.

Plaintiffs who filed a class-action lawsuit related to the probability manipulation scandal in the online game "MapleStory" are holding up the complaint in front of the civil petition office at Seongnam Branch of Suwon District Court on the 19th.
From the left, Lawyer Lee Cheol-woo, game user Seo Dae-geun, and Lawyer Kwon Hyuk-geun of Busan Law Firm.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier, the Fair Trade Commission imposed corrective orders and a fine of 11.642 billion KRW on Nexon Korea last month for violations of the Electronic Commerce Act. The Commission determined that Nexon deliberately lowered the probability of obtaining highly preferred results from the probability-based enhancement item 'Cube' in MapleStory and intentionally concealed this fact. This is the largest fine imposed in cases applying the Electronic Commerce Act. Following increased user complaints related to the Cube, Nexon decided to stop selling the 'Cube,' which accounted for 40% of MapleStory's revenue. Instead, Nexon replaced the Cube with the in-game currency 'Meso.'

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