Nexon America
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The First Descendant unveils farming tweaks, Ultimate Esiemo, and official Onslaught mode launch May 21
Nexon has detailed upcoming changes for the looter shooter The First Descendant, including a "farming loop reorganization" to improve resource acquisition and guidance, especially for players in hard difficulty. The update also introduces an Ultimate version of the character Esiemo with new abilities, balancing for Valby, and new skill modules for Ines. Additionally, the official Onslaught mode will launch with various adjustments to turrets, abilities, missions, and rewards.
ARC Raiders Developer Buffs Underperforming Augments For Future Updates
Embark Studios is buffing underperforming augments in ARC Raiders, including significant improvements to the Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) augment, to bring them in line with popular options. The recent update also introduced a new weapon, the Rascal, and the Nomadic Envoys faction. Nexon reported that ARC Raiders has sold over 16 million copies worldwide, making it the company's most successful new product release.
Massively OP Podcast Episode 566: Rock the Cradle of War
The Massively OP Podcast episode 566 covers EVE Online's Cradle of War expansion, the beta for EverQuest Legends, and Spirit Crossing's housing system. The hosts also discuss Throne and Liberty's progression, the use of AI in MMOs, and financial reports from companies like NCSoft and Square Enix.
ARC Raiders, The Finals & MapleStory drove a 118% YoY increase in Nexon's Q1 2026 net income
Nexon reported a 118% year-over-year increase in net income for Q1 2026, driven by strong performance from ARC Raiders, The Finals, and MapleStory. ARC Raiders sold approximately 4.6 million units, while The Finals and MapleStory saw revenue increases of 47% and 42% year-over-year, respectively.
MapleStory hypes up its Erel Light class with a new trailer and opens public test server for its June 17 patch
Nexon has released a new trailer hyping the upcoming Erel Light class for their side-scrolling MMO, MapleStory. The Erel Light class is set to headline the first part of the summer patch on June 17th. A public test server will be available for players to test upcoming features from June 4th to June 9th.
Nexon Q1 2026: ARC Raiders and MapleStory help to bring record high revenue
Nexon reported a record high first quarter of 2026, with revenue increasing 42% year-over-year to ¥152.2 billion ($945 million). The company attributed this success to strong performance from both the MapleStory franchise and the newly released ARC Raiders, which sold 4.6 million units. Future releases include Mabinogi: Mobile, Vindictus: Defying Fate, and several Dungeon Fighter side games.
Arc Raiders tops 16 million sales and could be heading to China
Arc Raiders has surpassed 16 million sales worldwide, with publisher Nexon reporting significant playtime and revenue contributions from the extraction shooter. Nexon has also secured an ISBN license for China and plans closed beta tests, indicating a potential expansion into the lucrative market. The company is also restructuring its development efforts, cancelling some projects and reallocating resources to others, including a mobile title being co-developed with Tencent.
Project RX Officially Announced for Consoles, PC, and Mobile - GameHaunt
Project RX has been officially announced for simultaneous release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, iOS, and Android in 2027. Developed by RX Studio, the game blends life simulation with tactical occult combat, utilizing Unreal Engine 5. This marks a significant shift for publisher Nexon, moving towards a multi-platform launch strategy similar to Genshin Impact.
Business and Finance
GOG has introduced support for Czech Crowns and regional pricing. Additionally, Nexon has extended its publishing partnerships for the FC Franchise in Korea with Electronic Arts and for Dungeon&Fighter with Tencent.
Nexon Q1 net income rises 118% to $360.7m
Nexon reported a 118% year-over-year increase in net income for the first quarter, reaching $360.7 million, driven by strong performance from Embark Studios' Arc Raiders and the MapleStory franchise. The company also announced a ten-year publishing partnership extension with Tencent for Dungeon & Fighter in China.
Business and Finance
Nexon has announced its Q1 2026 consolidated financial results, reporting a significant 59% increase in overseas revenue. This growth was primarily driven by the performance of the game ARC Raiders.
ARC Raiders cuts its cadence down to two major updates a year plus intermediate updates
Embark Studios, a subsidiary of Nexon, is shifting the development cadence for its live service game ARC Raiders to two major updates per year, moving away from a monthly cycle. This change aims to allow for larger, more impactful updates and greater investment in game health, including progression, economy balancing, and anti-cheat measures. The next major update, Frozen Trail, is scheduled for October and will introduce a new map, operation, progression systems, and narrative elements.
Tekken veteran Katsuhiro Harada to lead new SNK subsidiary
Tekken veteran Katsuhiro Harada has been appointed CEO of SNK's newly established subsidiary, VS Studio SNK. The studio aims to leverage combined technology and knowledge to deliver top-tier gaming experiences. SNK, now largely owned by Saudi Arabia's Electronic Gaming Development Company, is also expanding its global reach with new studios.
Arc Raiders Hits 16 Million Sales, Publisher Has High Hopes for October Update
Embark Studios' extraction shooter Arc Raiders has achieved 16 million sales, a significant success for developer Embark and publisher Nexon. The publisher holds high expectations for an upcoming update scheduled for October.
ARC Raiders moves to slower larger updates as it crosses over 16 million sales
Embark Studios is shifting ARC Raiders to larger, less frequent updates, moving from monthly releases to major updates twice a year, with smaller live updates in between. This change aims to improve the long-term player experience and address player concerns. The game has also surpassed 16 million sales, with active players spending an average of 100+ hours.
As Arc Raiders devs work on "reactivating" the 16 million people who bought the shooter, Embark Studios is…
Embark Studios' extraction shooter Arc Raiders has surpassed 16 million copies sold worldwide, making it Nexon's most successful new product release. The publisher highlighted the game's strong player engagement, with over half of active players exceeding 100 hours. Embark Studios is now focusing on reactivating players while developing two new unannounced games.
Arc Raiders will get major updates every six months going forwards, with the next one set to roll out the shooter's largest map yet
Embark Studios is shifting Arc Raiders to a bi-annual major update schedule, moving away from monthly releases to allow for more impactful changes. The first major update under this new model, Frozen Trail, is set for October and will introduce the game's largest map to date, new enemies, and narrative elements. Smaller live updates and fixes will continue between these larger content drops.
ARC Raiders Tops 16 Million Sales, Over Half Its Active Player Base Has Put in 100+ Hours
Embark Studios' extraction shooter ARC Raiders has achieved over 16 million unit sales worldwide since its October 2025 launch, with more than half of its active player base exceeding 100 hours of playtime. The developer is shifting from monthly to semi-annual content updates, with the next patch, Frozen Trail, scheduled for October and introducing the game's largest map to date.
MapleStory recaps its recent Classic World closed test and outlines summer update plans
MapleStory has concluded its closed test for MapleStory Classic World and is preparing to release summer updates starting June 17th. These updates include a new Erel Light class, a Kinesis class remaster, new PvP modes, zones, bosses, and quality-of-life improvements. Producer Inkwell shared these details, thanking participants for their feedback.
Gears Of War Creator Lays Out Vision For A New Game, And It Sounds Intriguing
Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski has outlined his vision for a new game called "Hollow Point." The proposed two-player cooperative title would blend elements of John Wick, Carrie, and Lovecraft Country, featuring an ex-Marine with guns and a young woman with psychic powers battling Lovecraftian monsters in a New England town during a hurricane.
