Nexon continued its strong performance in the first quarter of this year, driven by solid intellectual property (IP) competitiveness and the effects of new releases. Along with the rebound of its existing flagship IPs, 'Dungeon & Fighter' and 'MapleStory,' new titles such as 'First Berserker: Kazan' and 'Mabinogi Mobile' exceeded expectations, resulting in a 43% increase in operating profit compared to the previous year.
Nexon Japan announced on the 13th that it achieved a consolidated revenue of 1.082 trillion won (113.9 billion yen) and an operating profit of 395.2 billion won (41.6 billion yen) for the first quarter of 2025. Revenue increased by 5% compared to the same period last year, while operating profit surged by 43%, exceeding market expectations. Net profit was 249.5 billion won (26.3 billion yen), a 27% decrease, which is attributed to one-time factors and a comparative base.
This strong performance was due to the simultaneous recovery of existing franchise IPs and new title successes. The 'Dungeon & Fighter' franchise showed its presence on various platforms, including 'Dungeon Fighter Mobile' in China and 'First Berserker: Kazan,' which was globally released at the end of March. Notably, the Korean PC version, 'Dungeon Fighter,' saw its monthly active users (MAU) and paid users (PU) more than double following the 'Mid Sky' update, leading to nearly double the revenue compared to the previous year. The Chinese version of 'Dungeon Fighter' also showcased strong performance, improving in-game economic balance as a result of the early-year update and maintaining a rising daily active user (DAU) trend.
'MapleStory' also achieved consistent results both domestically and internationally. Following the large-scale winter update implemented in December last year, revenue in Korea increased by 43% compared to the previous year, and localization strategies were effective in the global market. Notably, the 'hyper-localization' service led by the Los Angeles development team recorded a 35% increase in revenue compared to the previous year, demonstrating significant growth.
The performance of new titles is also impressive. The PC and console package game 'First Berserker: Kazan,' which expands the 'Dungeon & Fighter' IP, has received 95% positive reviews on Steam, along with a score of 83 on Metacritic and 81 on OpenCritic, earning acclaim from both critics and users alike. In particular, the Chinese publisher Tencent has begun pre-registration, heightening local expectations for its success.
The mobile new title 'Mabinogi Mobile' achieved the top rank on Google Play shortly after its release on March 27, was second in highest revenue, and ranked first in highest revenue on the Apple App Store. By modernly reinterpreting the original game's sensibility and incorporating cooperative content and cross-platform support, it garnered responses from both new users and existing fans.
To maintain this momentum, Nexon plans to release various new genres within this year. The PvPvE new title 'ARC Raiders' from its Swedish development subsidiary Embark Studios recently completed its second technical test, and the action RPG 'Vindictus: Defying Fate' is set to enter a global alpha test in June. Additionally, several titles are in the pipeline, including the zombie survival game 'Last Paradise,' the open-world RPG 'Dungeon & Fighter: Arad,' and the story DLC 'In the Jungle' for the hit game 'Dave the Diver.'
Lee Jeong-hun, CEO of Nexon Japan, remarked, "Core franchises showed signs of recovery in the first quarter, and new titles received a good response in the market, resulting in meaningful results," adding, "Based on strong IPs, live capabilities, and strategic partnerships, we will introduce new gaming experiences on the global stage."
Meanwhile, according to the share buyback plan announced in February for an amount of 100 billion yen, Nexon has completed the acquisition of approximately 30.3 billion yen (about 29 billion won) by the end of April and plans to buy back the remaining 19.7 billion yen by June.