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Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Nexon Releases Earnings for Second Quarter 2025
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NEXON Co., Ltd. (Nexon) ( a global leader in online games, today announced the financial results for its second quarter ending on June 30, 2025. 'Nexon delivered a highly positive performance with better-than-expected results in the second quarter,' said Junghun Lee, President and CEO of Nexon. 'We have re-ignited growth in key titles, created momentum for recent launches, and successfully introduced new services to expand our presence in large markets worldwide. And excitement is building for the October 30 launch of ARC Raiders, which is currently ranked as Steam's #6 Wishlisted game worldwide.' Recent Highlights: Nexon delivered stronger-than-expected results with revenue of ¥118.9 billion, driven by MapleStory, FC ONLINE 1, and Dungeon&Fighter (PC), along with successful regional expansion of MapleStory Worlds and MABINOGI MOBILE. Year over year, revenue was down 3% on an as-reported basis, and up 6% on a constant-currency basis 2. Q2 operating income exceeded our expectations at ¥37.7 billion, driven by a strong top-line performance. Year over year, it was down 17% on an as-reported basis or 10% on a constant-currency basis 2. Net income 3 was down 58% at ¥16.8 billion due to an FX loss of ¥17.5 billion, while recording a ¥8.2 billion FX gain in the same quarter a year ago. The collective Q2 revenue of Nexon's three major franchises — Dungeon&Fighter, MapleStory, and FC — were down 13% year over year, due to the anticipated decline of Dungeon&Fighter Mobile, which launched in Q2 2024. MABINOGI MOBILE sustained the success of its March launch and delivered a solid contribution to the quarter. This week Nexon announced Woochi the Wayfarer, an all-new AAA action-adventure game now in an early stage of development for a global audience on PC and console. Nexon's Embark Studios announced the October 30 release of ARC Raiders. Another Embark game, THE FINALS, received an ISBN license in China in July and began its closed-alpha test on August 8. Franchise Performance D ungeon&Fighter Franchise: Player enthusiasm for recent content updates delivered a solid recovery and 67% year-over-year revenue growth on Dungeon&Fighter (PC) in Q2. However, total franchise revenue declined by 40% due to the Q2 2024 mobile launch. For the same reason, in Q3, we expect approximately 45% year-over-year decline, while expecting continued growth from the PC game. Dungeon&Fighter (PC): In Korea, Q2 revenue marked a new quarterly record with 132% year-over-year growth, led by the accelerated momentum from Q1. In China, Q2 revenue exceeded our expectations, delivering strong double-digit year-over-year growth, driven by the solid performance of the Labor Day update. The subsequent Anniversary update attracted returning users and pushed June MAUs and PUs to their highest levels this year. For Q3, we anticipate year-over-year growth both in Korea and China. Dungeon&Fighter Mobile: While the Q2 performance fell short of expectations due to the Anniversary update being less effective than anticipated at retaining returning players, we see improved prospects in Q3. A series of updates which began with a level-cap increase in July is expected to deliver modest sequential revenue growth. New content co-developed with Tencent is scheduled for release later this year. The First Berserker: Khazan: Our summer campaign kicked off in June with new content and promotions. This year's launch of Khazan gives us confidence in our ability to significantly expand the Dungeon&Fighter franchise worldwide. MapleStory Franchise: In Q2, the franchise delivered an exceptional performance with revenue growing 60% year over year, driven by strength in Korea MapleStory and the regional expansion of MapleStory Worlds. In Q3, we expect the franchise to maintain this momentum with approximately 70% year-over-year growth. Korea MapleStory: The summer update delivered a significant increase in active players and all-time-high PC-cafe market share of 25%, resulting in 91% year-over-year revenue growth and setting a Q2 record. In Q3, we expect revenue to more than double year over year with additional content releases to maintain the strong player engagement. Global MapleStory: Q2 revenue grew year over year, led by the 36% growth in Western markets, which executed multiple promotions to deliver a significant increase to the player base. A summer content update was well-received by the player community. MapleStory Worlds: Q2 revenue significantly exceeded our expectations, achieving more than 7x year-over-year growth. Following the rollout in Europe and Asia 4 this year, the service is generating solid revenue with a growing and deeply engaged player base. We expect the momentum to continue in Q3. MapleStory Universe Project: The blockchain-based PC MMORPG MapleStory N launched in select markets on May 15. This experimental project tests autonomous economic models, fostering a player-driven, in-game economy within the Web3 ecosystem. The project offers insights on how this next-generation approach could overcome the limitations of the traditional Web2 games. MapleStory: Idle RPG: This mobile franchise extension created with idle-game studio, Able Games, is scheduled for global 5 release later this year. FC Franchise: FC ONLINE 1 exceeded our expectations with a 7th anniversary content update which, despite lower seasonality, delivered year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter Q2 revenue growth. In Q3, we expect to maintain player engagement with the Team of the Season update and marketing initiative featuring a legendary players' exhibition match planned for September. Mabinogi Franchise: The successful launch of MABINOGI MOBILE and player enthusiasm for the recent alpha test of Vindictus: Defying Fate support the potential of our Mabinogi IP to become a new and sustainable pillar in Nexon's portfolio of global franchises. MABINOGI MOBILE: Following the successful launch in March, revenue exceeded our outlook with strong MAUs, PUs, and ARPPU. Despite some sequential revenue moderation, we expect a significant contribution in Q3. Vindictus: Defying Fate: In June, we conducted a highly successful alpha test which established the game as the Most-Played Demo in the Steam Next Fest. Shooters: The First Descendant: Q2 results came within the expected range. The large-scale Season 3 launched on August 7 is expected to almost triple quarterly revenue sequentially. THE FINALS: Q2 revenue exceeded our outlook, driven by the well-received June Season 7 update which returned the title to a year-over-year growth trajectory. In July, the game received an ISBN license in China and our partners at Tencent began its closed-alpha test on August 8. ARC Raiders: Following the successful tech test in May, ARC Raiders is building recognition and player excitement. The game is ranked #6 on Steam's Top Wishlists worldwide and is scheduled for release on October 30. Shareholder Return Under the one-year, ¥100 billion share buyback policy announced in February, we completed a ¥50 billion share repurchase on June 25. Also, today, Nexon's board of directors approved the execution of the repurchase for the ¥25 billion worth of shares, scheduled from August 14 to October 31. We plan to complete the repurchases of the remaining ¥25 billion worth of shares by February 2026 at the latest, with consideration of factors including investment opportunities, financial conditions, and the market environment. Third Quarter 2025 Outlook: Expect revenue to be in the range of ¥116.6 billion to ¥127.1 billion, down 14% to 6% year over year on an as-reported basis, down 12% to 4% on a constant-currency basis 2. Expect operating income in the range of ¥32.7 billion to ¥41.2 billion, down 36% to 20% year over year on an as-reported basis. Expect net income 3 of ¥26.4 billion to ¥32.8 billion, down 2% to up 21% on an as-reported basis. FX sensitivity 6 – For every one JPY move against the USD, expect the following impact on our Q3 2025 financials: Revenue: ¥0.83 billion Operating Income: ¥0.23 billion Earnings Letter Investors, analysts, and media are encouraged to visit Nexon's website, and review the Earnings Letter: Q2 2025 with details on our Q2 performance and Q3 outlook. Nexon Investor Relations website: Online Earnings Presentation (Japanese & English) Nexon management will host an online earnings presentation through Zoom Webinar (audio only) for investors, analysts and the media to discuss the company's financial results and outlook which will be simultaneously conducted in Japanese and English. It will consist of brief remarks made by the management team followed by a Q&A session. The Q&A session will be conducted with consecutive translations. Date & Time: August 13, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. JST / 4:00 a.m. EDT Format / Pre-registration Online earnings presentation will be held through Zoom Webinar (audio only). URL, webinar ID, and passcode will be provided upon registration from the link below. Please join the webinar from the URL provided and choose the language by clicking 'Interpretation' button. To register, please go to the Registration Page: Q&A Session An online Q&A session will be conducted with consecutive translation in Japanese, English, and Korean. When asking a question, please wait for the permission to speak prompt to appear on your screen, as some translations take longer to complete. Audio Archive and Transcript An audio archive and a transcript will be available on Nexon Investor Relations website ( This press release is prepared to offer reference information about Nexon to investors and is intended to generally provide investors and analysts with financial and operational information about Nexon, but not to solicit or recommend any sale or purchase of stock or other securities of Nexon. About NEXON Co., Ltd. Founded in 1994, NEXON Co., Ltd. (Nexon) ( is a global leader in the production, development and operation of online games. First listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011, Nexon has since been listed on JPX400, Nikkei Stock Index 300, and Nikkei 225. Nexon currently has more than 40 games operating in more than 190 countries on PC, console, and mobile. Major game franchises include MapleStory, Mabinogi, and Dungeon&Fighter. In 2024, the company set a multi-year IP Growth Initiative that details vertical growth with new experiences in existing major franchises and horizontal growth with the creation of new pillars in the company's IP portfolio. ___________________________________ 1 Official titles are EA SPORTS FC™ONLINE (PC) and EA SPORTS FC™ONLINE M (mobile). 2 Constant currency is a non-GAAP measure used to show performance unaffected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Constant-currency basis amounts are calculated using the average foreign currency exchange rates for the comparable period in the prior year and applied to the current period. 3 Net income refers to net income attributable to owners of the parent. 4 Asia excluding China and Japan. 5 Excludes China, Vietnam, and other specified regions 6 In most situations, the exchange rates of both the South Korean Won and the Chinese Yuan are linked to the U.S. dollar. For simplicity, forex sensitivity is calculated based on the assumption that Korean Won and Chinese Yuan move similarly against Japanese yen when there is an exchange rate movement in the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen.
Arabian Post
14-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Tencent Set to Pursue Nexon Takeover
Tencent is reportedly in discussions to acquire Nexon, the developer behind MapleStory and Dungeon & Fighter, in a deal that could exceed US$15 billion, signalling a strategic push into South Korea's gaming and Web3 sectors. Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent has approached the family of Nexon's late founder Kim Jung‑ju, which controls a 44.4 per cent stake through NXC Corp, to explore acquiring a substantial portion or full control of the company. The proposed transaction, valued at around 20 trillion won, aims to secure Tencent long‑term rights to Nexon's celebrated intellectual property while bolstering its position in South Korea's lucrative gaming market. Nexon, founded in Seoul in 1994 and now headquartered in Tokyo, is best known for its enduring franchises MapleStory and Dungeon & Fighter. The firm has been a pioneer in integrating games with Web3 technologies, launching a blockchain division dubbed NEXPACE and rolling out MapleStory Universe—complete with NFT item mechanics, token economies and a gasless transaction system on the Avalanche network. The NXPC token was listed on major crypto exchanges, reflecting deep commitment to a decentralised gaming strategy. ADVERTISEMENT While Tencent had previously tried to acquire Nexon in 2019—efforts fell through over valuation disagreements—the company has since fortified its global gaming footprint with a US$1.3 billion investment in Ubisoft and a 10 per cent stake in South Korea's SM Entertainment, a major K‑pop label. Its renewed interest in Nexon aligns with a broader ambition to dominate both blockchain and traditional gaming domains, despite sector‑wide funding slowdowns and reduced daily active user metrics in Web3 games. Sources emphasise that while discussions are underway, no definitive agreement has been reached and terms remain fluid. The Kim family is reportedly consulting financial advisers on the potential sale. Part of the complexity stems from their decision last year to transfer shares to settle inheritance taxes, a move that added governmental and family stakeholders into the mix. Nexon has seen its share price rise over 10 per cent in 2025, though it remains about 30 per cent below its 2021 peak. The Tokyo‑listed firm was valued at approximately US$15–16.6 billion, depending on market conditions. Tencent's remote stance with acquired studios suggests that any purchase may leave Nexon's operational autonomy largely intact. But the deal could deliver Tencent stronger access to Western and Asian markets, reinforcing its Web3 and blockchain ambitions. For Nexon, aligning with Tencent offers capital resources to scale blockchain gaming efforts and deepen development of blockchain-enabled platforms such as MapleStory Universe. Since launching MapleStory N in May 2025, the company has leveraged its Web3 unit's Abu Dhabi‑based NEXPACE to expand global blockchain gaming operations. With Tencent prioritising organic growth and strategic minority investments—such as expanding its blockchain infrastructure partnerships with TON Foundation and Chainbase—this potential acquisition represents one of its most ambitious M&A moves post‑2020 Chinese regulatory tightening. Should negotiations succeed, Tencent would gain direct control over multiple high‑value IPs and a formidable presence in South Korea's gaming ecosystem, presenting both strategic advantages and regulatory scrutiny across jurisdictions. The deal's complexity—woven through family, government, and market dynamics—ensures that stakeholders across the industry are closely watching every development.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tencent explores acquisition of Nexon to strengthen gaming portfolio
Tencent Holdings is reportedly exploring a potential acquisition of Nexon to bolster its gaming operations. The Chinese company has initiated discussions with the family of Nexon's late founder, Kim Jung-ju, regarding a possible deal, reported Bloomberg. Nexon, established in South Korea in 1994 and listed in Japan in 2011, is known for popular role-playing games such as MapleStory. Tencent and Nexon have previously collaborated on projects, including the co-development of Dungeon & Fighter, which has been a major source of revenue. The Kim family holds their stake in Nexon through NXC, which owned 44.4% of Nexon as of 30 June, according to Nexon's interim report. Kim's wife and daughters control approximately 67.6% of NXC. While the family is consulting advisers to evaluate their options, it remains unclear how open they are to selling their Nexon stake, and there is no guarantee that Tencent's discussions will lead to a transaction, the report said. This move follows Tencent's previous attempt to acquire Nexon in 2019 and coincides with other investments in South Korean assets. In late May 2025, a Tencent subsidiary agreed to purchase a nearly 10% stake in Seoul-based music producer SM Entertainment, aligning with the easing of an unofficial ban on K-pop in mainland China. In March, Tencent also committed €1.16bn ($1.3bn) for a 25% stake in a new Ubisoft unit holding intellectual property rights, including those for Assassin's Creed. In 2024, Tencent cancelled its mobile game based on Square Enix's Nier franchise after two years of development, citing monetisation challenges amid high costs and franchise rights issues. "Tencent explores acquisition of Nexon to strengthen gaming portfolio" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Krafton, Nexon solidify industry-leading standings with upbeat earnings
Struggline NCSoft, Kakao Games pin hope on new titles Krafton and Nexon are solidifying their leadership in the Korean game industry, posting strong earnings in the first quarter to start the year strong on the back of successful new titles and ongoing popularity of the existing intellectual property. Krafton logged record-high first quarter revenue of 874.2 billion won ($625.8 million) and operating profit of 457.3 billion won from the January-to-March period this year, up 31.3 percent and 47.3 percent on year, respectively. Krafton's megahit battle royale shooter PUBG: Battlegrounds continued to attract gamers, with the maximum number of concurrent users reaching 1.4 million in March, according to the company. The game developer's life simulation game inZOI, which became available for early access on global gaming platform Steam in March, sold 1 million copies within a week of its debut to set a new record as the fastest Korean game to reach the milestone. Nexon raked in 1.08 trillion won in revenue and 395.2 billion won in operating profit in the first quarter, up 5 percent and 43 percent respectively from the same period last year. Nexon's two longstanding popular games — Dungeon & Fighter, an online multiplayer side-scrolling action game, and MapleStory, an online side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game, or MMORPG — led the company's robust sales. With the veterans leading the way, The First Berserker: Khazan, a hardcore action RPG based on Dungeon & Fighter, and Mabinogi Mobile, a multi-access MMORPG, gave a boost as they were newly released in March. Netmarble delivered an earnings surprise as it logged 623.9 billion won in revenue and 49.7 billion won in operating profit, up 6.6 percent and 1243.2 percent on year, respectively. The operating profit, which shot way over the market consensus, was achieved thanks to the stable performances from its diverse lineup of games such as action RPG Solo Leveling:ARISE and fighting action games Marvel Contest of Champions. RF Online Next, a space-themed MMORPG released on March 20, accounted for about 3 percent of the company's quarterly game sales despite having only 10 days of impact on the quarterly earnings, raising optimism for the second quarter results. In contrast to the three aforementioned companies, NCSoft and Kakao Games struggled as they did not have any meaningful new titles. NCSoft earned 360.3 billion won in revenue and 5.2 billion won in operating profit to turn black in the first three months of this year. Although the company launched Journey of Monarch, an MMORPG based on NCSoft's flagship IP Lineage, in December last year, the game could not help the firm's ailing figures greatly. NCSoft plans to roll out seven new titles through 2026 including Aion 2 in the second half of this year, vowing to hit 2 trillion won in annual revenue next year. Kakao Games recorded 211.9 billion won in revenue and 12.4 billion in operating loss in the first quarter. Kakao Games will look to the global market this year including the North American and European regions as the company plans to release games with various genres for different platforms, including open-world action MMORPG Chrono Odyssey, online action RPG ArcheAge Chronicles and mobile side-scrolling action PRG Goddess Order.
Korea Herald
13-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Nexon tops W4t in annual revenue
Nexon, the publisher of popular games such as Dungeon & Fighter and MapleStory, posted record-high annual sales of over 4 trillion won ($2.76 billion) last year, becoming the first Korean gaming company to hit the milestone. The company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, announced Thursday that its total revenue for the previous year reached 446 billion yen, or 4.01 trillion won, a 5 percent year-over-year increase. Fourth-quarter sales declined by 6 percent to 79.7 billion yen. Despite the overall revenue growth, Nexon reported an operating loss of 1.7 billion yen. The company attributed its record sales to a roughly 10 percent sales increase in its three key franchises — the MMORPGs Dungeon & Fighter and MapleStory as well as the soccer video game FC. Together, these titles, along with revenue from services related to its intellectual properties, accounted for 74 percent of Nexon's total sales. Among them, Dungeon & Fighter saw a 53 percent year-over-year increase in sales, driven by the successful launch of its mobile version in China last May. MapleStory, a long-beloved title in Korea, also saw 24 percent growth as its global reach expanded. Nexon introduced localized content and targeted promotions, focusing on penetrating global markets. While continuing to strengthen those thriving flagship franchises, Nexon plans to broaden its product lineup by leveraging its IPs to achieve sustained growth, tapping into revenue from its core game titles. 'Nexon is enhancing strategic research and investment to expand its business through strong IPs such as Dungeon & Fighter and MapleStory,' said Nexen CEO Lee Jung-hun. 'We will strive to bring greater joy to our users through both existing franchises and new intellectual property-based games.'
