NCsoft (036570.KS) more than tripled — in fact raised more than eleven-fold — its second-quarter operating profit from a year earlier, driven by the dual success of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) "Lineage Classic" and its casual game titles. The company plans to bring forward its target of 5 trillion won in annual revenue by rolling out more than 10 new titles aimed at global release from the second half of this year through next year.
NCsoft reported second-quarter operating profit of 173.9 billion won ($126 million) on a consolidated basis, up 1,053% from a year earlier, the company said on the 11th. Revenue for the period rose 101% to 770.5 billion won ($555 million). Net profit came to 131.2 billion won ($95 million), swinging to a profit from a 36 billion won loss a year earlier.
"Lineage Classic," launched in February, led the earnings improvement. The title generated 185.5 billion won in revenue this quarter (269.1 billion won cumulative), and with monthly active users (MAU) holding steady to date, it is establishing itself as a cash cow capable of delivering earnings over the long term. On the back of this, PC game revenue reached 343.8 billion won, setting a new quarterly record for the second consecutive quarter after the first.
Mobile game revenue was 185.3 billion won, up slightly from the previous quarter. Lineage M grew 4% quarter-on-quarter. Anel Cheman, executive vice president heading the mobile casual business organization, expressed confidence, saying third-party games from outside the company's own portfolio will also be added next year, and that the casual business division will show stronger growth.
By region, sales broke down into 48% from Korea, 25% from Asia and 27% from North America and Europe. Overseas markets accounted for 52% of total revenue. The overseas share rose for a fourth straight quarter, marking steady growth.
Through next year, NCsoft will roll out a total of 10 new titles in sequence, starting with "Aion 2 Global," due out next month. Park Byung-moo, co-CEO of NCsoft, stressed that combining third-party publishing games and in-house developed titles, about 10 games are set to launch in the second half of this year and next year, adding that it amounts to almost a monthly release.
"Horizon Steel Frontier," "Cinder City" and "Guild Wars 3," all slated for release next year, will be unveiled at Gamescom 2026, the world's largest game show, which opens in Cologne, Germany, on the 26th of this month. The company plans to make its most anticipated title, "Guild Wars 3," a key intellectual property (IP) for capturing global markets, lending 120.7 billion won ($87 million) to its North American subsidiary ArenaNet, which is developing the game, to support development and launch.
The company also laid out a blueprint to achieve 5 trillion won in annual revenue ahead of schedule through these new titles. On future performance, Park said the company is likely to considerably exceed the top end of the 2.5 trillion won revenue guidance presented for this year, and that while it had said it would reach 5 trillion won in annual revenue by 2030, he expects the target to be met sooner.
