The Korean gaming giant Nexon is experiencing a resurgence thanks to new games. The business figures for the second quarter of 2024 look excellent and there’s great anticipation for the future: The current Steam hit The First Descendant will fully launch in the third quarter. There are 8 new games in the pipeline – 4 of which are expected to come to the West.
What do the figures for Nexon look like? The figures for the second quarter of 2024 are excellent (via irpocket):
- Revenue has increased by 30% compared to the previous year
- This even exceeds the company’s expectations
- Nexon is also expected to continue its growth in the future.
The First Descendant is a “global success”
What about The First Descendant? This is arguably the most important new game from our European perspective. The First Descendant is a new brand for Nexon that only launched on July 2nd. Therefore, the revenue from The First Descendant will not yet count in the already strong figures but will only reflect in the third quarter.
It is emphasized that The First Descendant is a “global success” and there are expectations of further growth in the third quarter of 2024.
Mobile variant of the massive MMORPG doubles Nexon’s revenue in China
These are the current drivers: Nexon achieved a growth of 57% compared to the previous year with 3 game series:
- Dungeon & Fighter – the largest MMORPG in the world on PC, has now received a mobile version in China and earns a lot of money from it
- MapleStory – the classic MMORPG is experiencing a resurgence
- FC – the football manager is also running successfully
In relation to the three games, Dungeon & Fighter Mobile and FC Online are performing so strongly that they balance out other weaknesses, such as in Dungeon & Fighter on PC.
By regions, the success of Dungeon & Fighter Mobile in China overshadows all other areas. In China, Nexon’s revenue has doubled in a single quarter. In South Korea and the West, revenue has slightly decreased, and in Japan, it has remained almost the same.
For the coming quarters, Nexon continues to expect strong growth:
- In China, mainly through Dungeon & Fighter Mobile
- In Japan, North America, Europe, and the rest of the world through “The First Descendant”
In North America and Europe, a doubling of revenue in 2024 compared to 2023 is anticipated.
Nexon focuses on PC and consoles – and action – for the West
What are the plans for the future? In the coming years, 8 games are planned, none of which has an actual launch date yet. 3 of the games like Mabinogi Mobile, Supervive, or Overkill are intended only for the Asian market. Very little is known about MapleStory N, so no information can be provided here. It will likely rely on blockchain.
However, 4 games are also expected to come to the West:
- The First Berserker: Khazan – A hardcore action RPG for PC and consoles, in the same game universe as Dungeon & Fighter
- ARC Raiders, a PvP Extraction shooter for PC and consoles
- Nakwon_ Last Paradise – An extraction survival game for PC
- Vindictus: Definy Fate: The genre is still pending, it is supposed to take place in the Vindictus world and will be released for PC and consoles
South Korea is not really into “consoles” – South Korea is strictly a PC and mobile market. Typically, when South Koreans talk about consoles, they mean PS5 and Xbox.
Recently, Nexon seems to be writing mainly good news and is on a path to success. It hasn’t always been this way. Just in February 2024, we reported on a serious fraud scandal that hit Nexon’s flagship MMORPG, MapleStory: MMORPG lied to its players for 10 years about loot: They are now filing a class action lawsuit
