[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] NC (NCsoftCorporation(036570)) returned to profitability in the third quarter of this year, posting revenue of 686.5 billion won and operating profit of 119.6 billion won. Buoyed by the success of “Lineage Classic” and the expansion of its mobile casual gaming business, the company also raised its annual revenue target to 2.8 trillion won.

According to the preliminary consolidated financial results released by NC on the 11th, revenue increased by 90.7% compared to the same period last year. Operating profit turned positive this year, after posting a loss of 7.5 billion won during the same period last year. Net income stood at 20 billion won.

Compared to the previous quarter, revenue and operating profit decreased by 10.9% and 31.2%, respectively. Net income also fell by 84.8% due to a decline in foreign exchange-related gains and losses. However, revenue for the first three quarters of this year reached 2.0144 trillion won, an 82.7% increase year-over-year, surpassing the lower end of the initially projected annual revenue range—2 trillion won—in just nine months.

These results were driven by PC games based on existing intellectual property (IP) and the mobile casual gaming business, which the company is cultivating as a new growth engine. Third-quarter revenue from PC games totaled 289.4 billion won, while revenue from mobile games amounted to 162.2 billion won. The PC game “Lineage Classic” generated 158.7 billion won in revenue in the third quarter, with total revenue reaching 427.8 billion won in the approximately eight months since its launch. The company explained that key metrics, such as the number of paying users, have shown a relatively stable trend.

The mobile casual segment generated 171.9 billion won in revenue. This represents 25% of total consolidated revenue and marks an increase from the previous quarter. NCSoft continues to expand its portfolio in this sector, including signing a global publishing agreement for the next title from Chinese developer Gorilla Studio.

The share of overseas business also grew. The regional revenue breakdown for the third quarter was 46% from South Korea, 34% from North America and Europe, and 20% from Asia. Revenue from markets outside South Korea accounted for 54% of the total and, according to the company, has risen for five consecutive quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the performance of the global service for “Aion 2” will be fully reflected in the company’s financial results. Since launching globally on the 5th of last month, the game has recorded a peak of 410,000 concurrent users. From the start of early access on September 30 through November 10—a span of 42 days—cumulative user spending totaled approximately 110.3 billion won. This figure may differ from revenue recognized for accounting purposes.

NC raised its revenue forecast for this year to 2.8 trillion won on the same day. The company set a revenue target of 3.2 trillion to 3.4 trillion won for next year. The plan is to expand the scope of existing IPs while leveraging new titles and the mobile casual gaming business as growth drivers.

In a regulatory filing on the 11th, NCSoft raised its 2026 revenue guidance to 2.8 trillion won. The company set its 2027 revenue guidance at 3.2 trillion to 3.4 trillion won. The company emphasized that these figures reflect the expansion of its core IPs, the global launch of new titles, and the continued growth of its mobile casual segment. The company plans to launch 10 new titles across various genres—including subculture, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), and shooters—in the global market by next year.