Junghun Lee
Reporting and statements that mention Junghun Lee.
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Nexon Q2 2026: MapleStory and ARC Raiders made so much money that Nexon paid out a special dividend
Nexon reported strong second quarter 2026 financial results, driven by significant revenue from MapleStory and ARC Raiders, leading to a special dividend payout of approximately $2 billion to shareholders. Despite a slight decrease in operating income, net income surged by 77% and revenue increased by 2%. The MapleStory franchise achieved record quarterly highs, partly due to the launch of MapleStory Worlds and MapleStory: Idle RPG.
Nexon to assume publishing duties for Overwatch on PC in South Korea
Nexon will assume publishing duties for Overwatch on PC in South Korea from Blizzard Entertainment starting August 12. Blizzard will continue to lead game development, while Nexon will manage live service and business operations for the Korean market. This partnership aims to provide a hyper-localized experience for players, with player migration scheduled to begin on the same day as the game's fourth season launch.
Nexon Developers Conference 26 Opens Today
The Nexon Developers Conference (NDC) 26 has opened, focusing on Artificial Intelligence in game development. The conference, held by NEXON Korea Corporation, features 51 sessions covering planning, production, and live operations, with a special emphasis on how AI can streamline experimentation and creative processes. The event also includes exhibitions of Nexon IP artwork and game sound production.
"Completing the Game" is the radical plan for The First Descendant after 2 years, and the latest roadmap cooked up by Nexon just days after it called the game a flop
Nexon is implementing a "Completing the Game" roadmap for its looter shooter, The First Descendant, to address player frustrations with content, endgame balance, and the learning curve. The plan includes an overhaul of core gameplay systems, farming loops, and the endgame, with the first phase expected in the summer Season 4 update.
ARC Raiders Studio’s Parent Company Wants to Use More AI to “Free” Developers to be Creative
Nexon, the parent company of Embark Studio, is discussing its strategy for using generative AI in game development. Executives Patrick Söderlund and Junghun Lee believe that understanding the challenge of AI, rather than just adopting tools, will lead to success. They emphasize that AI, when used with their proprietary 'Mono Lake Initiative' context, frees developers to focus on creative aspects rather than replacing them.
Nexon CEO admits The First Descendant had 'no staying power,' and that can't be addressed with a quick fix: 'These are design issues that are not fixed with a patch'
Nexon CEO Junghun Lee admitted that The First Descendant suffers from fundamental design issues that cannot be fixed with simple patches, leading to a lack of player retention. The game, which saw a high of 10 million players in its first week, has since dropped to around 5,000 concurrent players on Steam, receiving a 'mixed' user rating.
Nexon calls Arc Raiders a "Trojan Horse" for proving controversial AI tools can build triple-A hits with smaller teams
Nexon, the owner of developer Embark, is promoting the use of AI tools in game development, citing Arc Raiders as a successful 'Trojan Horse' example. Despite initial controversy over AI-generated voices, Nexon president Junghun Lee highlighted how AI can free up development teams to focus on innovation. Embark CEO Patrick Soderlund stated that both Arc Raiders and The Finals were built with significantly fewer people and at a fraction of the cost of typical AAA games.
Nexon plans multiple Dungeon & Fighter titles and an AI tool to help devs ‘create with context’
Nexon announced plans to expand the Dungeon & Fighter intellectual property with multiple new titles, including an idle RPG and Dungeon & Fighter Classic. The company also revealed its new AI tool, Mono Lake, designed to provide development teams with player interaction data to guide game design and live service support.
'Did Not Work': The First Descendant Considered a Failure by Its Developer
Nexon has acknowledged that its live-service title, The First Descendant, has failed to retain players, less than two years after its release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. Company president Junghun Lee stated that the game suffered from "retention challenges" and "design issues that are not fixed with a patch." Despite a strong launch on PC with over 264,000 concurrent players, interest quickly waned, with player counts dropping significantly post-release.
ARC Raiders bosses double down on using AI in game dev: ‘More time innovating; less time writing code’
Embark Studios and its parent company Nexon are doubling down on the use of AI in game development, emphasizing efficiency and cost reduction. Executives Patrick Söderlund and Junghun Lee believe AI tools free developers to focus more on innovation and less on coding, though they maintain that creative content remains the work of human developers. This approach has been applied to games like ARC Raiders and The Finals, reportedly built with fewer people and at a lower cost.
110,000 mixed Steam reviews later, Nexon bluntly puts The First Descendant in the "did not work" category:…
Nexon has openly acknowledged that The First Descendant, a third-person looter shooter released in June 2024, has failed to retain players despite a strong launch. President and CEO Junghun Lee stated that the game's issues are design-related and require structural changes rather than simple patches, indicating a significant underperformance.
'More time innovating; less time writing code:' Arc Raiders publisher Nexon believes AI will liberate its workforce
Nexon is implementing an AI-driven initiative called 'Mono Lake' across its development and live service operations to enhance decision-making and free up developers for more creative tasks. CEO Junghun Lee stated the platform leverages decades of game data to provide context, while Executive Chairman Patrick Söderlund aims to foster smarter workflows and fewer, more impactful bets.
Nexon appoints Patrick Söderlund as new executive chairman to "accelerate global strategy, transform creative direction, and lead the next phase"
Nexon has appointed Patrick Söderlund, currently CEO of Embark Studios, as its new executive chairman. In this role, Söderlund will focus on accelerating global strategy, transforming creative direction, and leading the company's next phase of growth, including portfolio strategy, M&A, and organizational development. He will remain CEO at Embark Studios while working closely with Nexon's President and CEO, Junghun Lee.
Embark Studios CEO Patrick Soderlund named executive chairman of Nexon
Nexon has appointed Patrick Soderlund, CEO and co-founder of Embark Studios, as its new executive chairman. Soderlund will collaborate with Nexon president and CEO Junghun Lee to shape the company's creative and strategic direction, while remaining CEO of Embark Studios. This appointment follows the success of Embark's game Arc Raiders, which Nexon published.
Nexon revenue rises 6.5% to $3.1bn in 2025, driven by ongoing success of Arc Raiders
Nexon reported record-breaking revenue of $3.1 billion for 2025, marking the third consecutive year of growth. The company's success was driven by its franchises Dungeon & Fighter and MapleStory, alongside the strong performance of the new extraction shooter Arc Raiders, which has sold over 14 million copies. Despite a slight decrease in operating income due to higher-than-expected costs, Nexon anticipates continued growth in the first quarter of 2026.
