Nexon Korea

Korean operating headquarters of Nexon, based in Seoul. Traces to the original Nexon founded in Seoul in December 1994 by Kim Jung-ju and Jake Song, a pioneer of free-to-play and microtransaction-based online games. Nexon Korea develops, publishes and operates online and mobile titles for the Korean market, including MapleStory, KartRider, Mabinogi and Sudden Attack; the ultimate parent is NEXON Co., Ltd., the Tokyo-headquartered listed holding company (TSE: 3659). Moby credits span publishing, development and support roles.

• Type: Publisher and Developer · Buyer
• Headquarters: South Korea
• Data updated: 15 Nov 2026

Key facts

• According to Games Atlas analysis of shipped-game credits, Nexon Korea published or developed 12 games released 2015–2025 (+1 as distributor or contractor).
• Games Atlas data shows 3 of 11 Nexon Korea titles with known production credits (27%) used external service partners.
• The most frequent external partner on Nexon Korea titles is Nexon (3 shared credits, 2015–2025).
• Kept in-house according to the credits: Lead & co-development.
• Games Atlas tracked 35 news stories about Nexon Korea in the last 24 months.

What Nexon Korea outsources and how open it is to new partners

The verdict rates how hard it is for a new vendor to win work in each discipline: how much of the work goes to outside vendors rather than staying inside, whether the same partners come back or change from project to project, and how often first-time partners got in over recent years.

• Audio design and production services: Hard to enter: one or two partners hold the work. Sourcing model: regularly outsourced (1 vendors per title, typical 1.8). 2 of 2 titles with detailed credits since 2015 used an external partner (100%); 1 external partners, 1 of them returning (100% of outsourced titles), most often Studio EIM (100%). Small base: a first signal, not a settled pattern.
• Lead & co-development: Closed: almost never goes outside. Sourcing model: done by its own studios. 0 of 2 titles with detailed credits since 2015 used an external partner (0%), 1 credit the company's own studios; 0 external partners, 0 of them returning (0% of outsourced titles). Small base: a first signal, not a settled pattern.

External partners proven by shipped credits

• Nexon — Lead & co-development, Publishing, 3 shared credits, 2015–2025
• Arc System Works — Lead & co-development, Publishing, 2 shared credits, 2022–2023
• Studio EIM — Audio design and production services, 2 shared credits, 2018–2018
• COLOPL — Lead & co-development, 1 shared credits, 2022–2022
• Cwavesoft Inc. (CWAVE) — Lead & co-development, 1 shared credits, 2018–2018

Latest related news

• Embark Studios reports ARC Raiders year-one data as live-ops update lifts players 219% (2026-10-30)
• Yoshida urges Korean developers to pair AI localization with English and controller support (2026-11-10)
• Embark Studios slows Arc Raiders content cadence after 16 million sales overwhelm pipeline (2026-11-02)
• Xbox strategy manager claims widespread AI use in game development, then deletes account (2026-10-31)
• Nexon taps Chernin Entertainment for Arc Raiders and The Finals adaptations as live-service shooters seek franchise longevity (2026-10-05)
• Embark Studios swaps AI facial animation for full motion capture as Arc Raiders' narrative stakes grow (2026-10-05)
• Embark Studios drops fixed monthly cadence as Arc Raiders scale outpaces production capacity (2026-09-29)
• Korea's council pushes tax credits for games, which drive 57.7% of content exports (2026-09-15)

Group structure

• Nexon Games (Developer)
• Neople (Developer)
• Embark Studios (Publisher and Developer)

Methodology

Source: Games Atlas (gamesatlas.app), based on MobyGames production credits and Games Atlas analysis; the sourcing figures cover work credited on releases from 2015 onwards. One game counts once regardless of platforms, editions or add-ons. Games Atlas does not estimate revenue or report the performance of individual games. Profile: https://gamesatlas.app/companies/nexon-korea