Nexon’s New Games ‘Mabinogi Mobile’ and ‘Kazan’ Achieve Initial Success: Aiming for ₩7 Trillion in Revenue by 2027 🚀

Nexon Surpasses ₩4 Trillion in Annual Revenue, Targets ₩7 Trillion by 2027

Nexon, a leading game company, is experiencing strong initial success with its two new games released in the first half of this year: ‘Mabinogi Mobile’ and ‘Kazan’. Both games are available on PC, console, and mobile platforms, and their performance is raising expectations for achieving the company’s ambitious revenue target of ₩7 trillion (approximately $5.3 billion USD) by 2027.

Last year, Nexon became the first Korean game company to surpass ₩4 trillion in annual revenue. The company’s success is largely attributed to its three major IPs: ‘Dungeon&Fighter’, ‘MapleStory’, and ‘FC Online’, which account for 74% of its total revenue. To sustain long-term growth, Nexon is focusing on expanding its IP franchise with ‘Kazan’ and ‘Mabinogi Mobile’ as key pillars.

‘Mabinogi Mobile’: Capturing the Original Essence and Achieving Early Popularity

‘Mabinogi Mobile’, a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), was officially launched on March 27th and quickly rose to the top of the charts on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in Korea 🥇. Currently, it holds the top spot in Apple App Store revenue and ranks third in Google Play Store revenue, demonstrating a stable growth trajectory.

The game modernly reinterprets the original ‘Mabinogi’s’ essence, offering familiar charm to fans while providing a user-friendly experience with cross-platform support. This approach has resonated well with players of various generations.

Notably, ‘Mabinogi Mobile’ boasts a high rating of 4.7 stars on the Google Play Store, indicating strong user satisfaction with its mid-to-late game content. Kim Dong-gun, the head of Devcat Studio who created the original ‘Mabinogi’ 21 years ago, directly oversaw the development of ‘Mabinogi Mobile’. Nexon reportedly invested over ₩100 billion (approximately $76 million USD) in the game’s development over eight years.

‘Mabinogi Mobile’ has successfully recreated the core values of the original game while optimizing the experience for mobile devices. It retains familiar characters, stories, and music, as well as the unique world and atmosphere. The cross-platform support, allowing players to enjoy the game on both mobile and PC, has been particularly well-received.

Additionally, the game offers both horizontal and vertical screen modes, providing a flexible experience tailored to different play styles. ‘Mabinogi Mobile’ also introduces unique social features, such as “Stellagram,” a profile system where players can introduce themselves and express their individuality. The “Stella Pick” system recommends other players’ “Stellagrams” daily, facilitating communication and relationship-building among players.

Kim Dong-gun, head of Devcat Studio, stated, “‘Mabinogi Mobile’ focused on providing a new experience suited for the mobile environment while inheriting the unique sensibility of the original. We will continue to update and improve the game to deliver even more complete content to our users.”

‘Kazan’ Slows Down After Initial Success: Balance Patch Planned

Nexon launched ‘Kazan’, a hardcore action RPG utilizing the ‘Dungeon&Fighter’ IP, on March 28th. Developed by Neople, a subsidiary of Nexon, ‘Kazan’ was in development for approximately three years.

‘Kazan’ garnered significant attention as a major project signaling the expansion of the ‘Dungeon&Fighter Universe (DNFU)’. It distinguishes itself from the soulslike genre with its hardcore action RPG gameplay, reflecting the original ‘Dungeon&Fighter’s’ unique action elements. The game was released on PC and console platforms.

‘Kazan’ also achieved positive results immediately after its release, ranking second globally and in Korea, and third in the United States on Steam’s top-selling list 📈. It received high scores on Metacritic and OpenCritic, with ratings in the 80s. However, as of April 8th, its global sales ranking has dropped to 29th, and its Korean sales ranking to 11th. The number of daily players has also declined. To address this, Nexon is actively communicating with players and plans to implement balance patches based on user feedback.

Ahead of the game’s launch, Neople CEO Yoon Myung-jin addressed concerns about the game’s difficulty, stating that players can choose easier difficulty levels. He emphasized that the goal was to create a good game rather than focusing solely on sales targets, expressing confidence in the game’s quality. 👍

Note: ₩ (Korean Won) is the currency of South Korea.