K-games Heading to China... New Releases Accelerate

\r\n\r\n[Financial News] Domestic game companies are accelerating their advance into the Chinese game market again this year. Major game companies such as Nexon, NCSoft, and Smilegate are preparing to launch new games in China one after another and are making inroads into the local market.
According to industry sources on the 3rd, major domestic game companies are accelerating their advance into the Chinese market again, taking advantage of the Chinese government's relaxed policy on game licensing since last year. Recently, with the game companies Krafton and Smilegate accompanying the President's economic delegation to China, expectations are high for positive changes such as the lifting of the Korean Wave ban.
Nexon will launch the hybrid ocean adventure 'Dave the Diver' developed by its subsidiary Mint Rocket in the Chinese market on the 6th. 'Dave' is a hit game that has achieved cumulative global sales of 7 million copies since its official launch in 2023 with its unique gameplay that combines ocean exploration and sushi restaurant management, as well as its popular appeal. The local service name for 'Dave' in China is 'Diver Dave (潜水员戴夫)', and XD Network, which has serviced global hits such as 'Girls' Frontline' and 'Azur Lane', is in charge of the service. Nexon plans to expand the service area of ​​the mobile version of 'Dave' to domestic and global markets in the future.
In particular, Nexon's new release in China will be its first in two years since 'Dungeon & Fighter Mobile' in 2024, and it has currently secured over 1.45 million pre-registrations, giving it the 'green light' for success.
NCSoft is also making a comeback in the Chinese market. NCSoft plans to release 'Aion Mobile', which it is jointly developing with Chinese publisher Sungchul Games, in China within the year. Smilegate also plans to introduce new titles such as 'Lost Ark Mobile' to the Chinese market.
Following the release of 'Mir M: Mogwang Ssangyong' in China on January 13, Wemade is preparing to release additional titles within the year. 'Mir M: Mokwang Ssangyong' is a newly developed PC/mobile MMORPG based on Wemade's core IP 'Legend of Mir 2'. 'Legend of Mir 2' was a hit in China's PC online game market, recording a 65% market share (2004) and 800,000 concurrent users (2005).
China, which is considered the world's largest game market along with the United States, is considered the most attractive target for Korean game companies despite obstacles such as sales regulations and political uncertainty. According to the China Game Industry Research Institute, the size of the Chinese game market last year reached approximately 350.789 billion yuan (approximately 72.873 trillion won). In particular, the structure in which mobile games and RPGs are strong overlaps with the main genres of Korean games. Therefore, if a certain level of performance is achieved in China, sales of hundreds of billions of won can be generated even in a short period of time. In fact, according to a Sensor Tower survey, Nexon's 'Dungeon & Fighter Mobile', which was released in China in 2024, generated sales of approximately 270 million dollars (391.311 billion won) in just one month from May 21 of the same year.
The fact that major domestic game companies such as Netmarble, Gravity, Neowiz, and Smilegate participated in the 'Taipei Game Show' held in Taiwan earlier this year is not unrelated to this atmosphere. Taiwan has similar user tendencies and market trends to China, so it is considered a strategic test bed in the industry to gauge the success or failure of entering the Greater China market. An industry insider said, "Although the issuance of game licenses is not completely free, it is true that the positive atmosphere, such as the lifting of the Korean Wave ban, has grown," adding, "There is a trend of new product planning targeting China becoming full-fledged again."
yjjoe@fnnews.com Jo Yoon-joo Reporter