[Click eStock] "NCSoft: Initial Success of Aion 2 Could Raise Expectations for Next Year"

On October 17, Eugene Investment & Securities analyzed that if Aion 2 achieves initial commercial success, expectations for next year's new titles from NCSoft will increase. The firm maintained its "Buy" investment rating and a target price of 280,000 won.

Eugene Investment & Securities projected that NCSoft's sales in the third quarter of this year will reach 365.5 billion won, representing a 9% decrease compared to the same period last year. The company also expects an operating loss of 10.5 billion won, forecasting continued deficits.

Jung Ehoon, a researcher at Eugene Investment & Securities, stated, "Overall sales from both PC and mobile games are expected to decline slightly compared to the second quarter due to the absence of major updates. Among PC games, Guild Wars is anticipated to benefit from pre-expansion pack sales, and the full-quarter reflection of Lineage 2M's sales, which launched in Southeast Asia in the previous quarter, is expected to result in an increase compared to the previous quarter."

He added, "Regarding operating expenses, the workforce restructuring that began last year will continue into the second half, and one-time costs will be reflected in personnel expenses."

However, he also predicted that the initial success of Aion 2 would raise expectations for upcoming game releases. He explained, "Yesterday, a server and character name reservation event for Aion 2 was held, and the first round closed in just two minutes, demonstrating strong user anticipation. Although the domestic MMORPG market has shrunk compared to the past, the MMO genre still ranks high on mobile charts, and demand from long-time fans of the Aion IP remains significant."

He continued, "NCSoft will participate as the main sponsor of G-Star 2025 in November, where not only Aion 2 but also next year's new lineup (including Breakers, Time Takers, and Cinder City) is expected to be showcased. If Aion 2 achieves initial commercial success, expectations for next year's new titles will also rise."

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