[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] “Starting next year, we will achieve quantum growth by further enhancing the synergy between our reward apps and our publishing platform development studios.”

Park Byung-moo, co-CEO of NC (NCsoftCorporation(036570)), made this statement regarding the growth outlook for the mobile casual gaming business during a conference call to announce third-quarter 2026 earnings on the afternoon of the 11th.

NCSoft achieved its annual revenue target ahead of schedule, with cumulative revenue for the first three quarters exceeding 2.0144 trillion won.

Hong Won-jun, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of NCSoft, stated, “We are beginning to see the results of diversifying our business portfolio beyond a revenue structure centered on Lineage,” adding, “We plan to secure growth momentum by launching 10 new titles across various genres—including subculture, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), and shooters—in the global market by next year.”

NC’s mobile casual gaming business stood out particularly in its third-quarter results. Revenue from this segment reached 171.9 billion won in the third quarter, accounting for 25% of the company’s total consolidated revenue of 686.5 billion won. The reward platform “JustPlay,” acquired in the second quarter, drove this growth. JustPlay’s revenue more than doubled year-over-year, fueled by increased demand from advertisers.

Consequently, NCSoft raised its full-year revenue guidance to 2.8 trillion won. Based on NCSoft’s revenue forecast for next year—3.2 trillion to 3.4 trillion won—this represents an increase of approximately 800 billion to 1.02 trillion won.

JustPlay Expands Beyond Reward Advertising Platform to Include Publishing

NC’s strategy is to broaden its revenue base by adding mobile casual games and global publishing to its existing MMORPG-centric business structure. In particular, the company plans to establish a business ecosystem that spans from reward-based advertising platforms to game development and publishing through additional mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the year.

CEO Park cited the increasing supply of mobile games and JustPlay’s user acquisition model as the driving forces behind this growth. “As recently as last year, about 2,000 mobile casual games were released each month, but this year, that number has risen to between 4,000 and 5,000,” he said. He explained that as the number of new titles increases, so does the demand for advertising from game companies seeking to attract users.

JustPlay acquires customers by rewarding users for playing games. CEO Park explained that as the user base grows, advertiser participation and ad rates increase, creating a virtuous cycle where these proceeds are reinvested into user acquisition.

JustPlay’s core markets are North America and parts of Europe, while its service in South Korea is currently in the beta phase. The company plans to expand beyond its existing ad-based monetization (IAA) model by adding in-app purchases (IAP) and advertising services for third-party developers, while also strengthening the integration between its development studios and publishing operations.

CEO Park stated, “Regarding the mobile casual segment, we expect the framework for the Mobile Casual Division’s reward platform and publishing services to be largely completed by the fourth quarter of this year through additional acquisitions and business expansion.”

The launch of new titles is another pillar of next year’s growth strategy. NC plans to release 10 games in 2027, focusing on genres such as shooting and subculture. CEO Park announced that the company will sequentially release one or two titles each month in the first half of next year, starting with “Astra’s Oratio” in the first quarter.

The main lineup includes in-house titles such as “Cinder City,” “Limit Zero Breakers,” and “Time Takers.” In the mobile casual sector, the company is also preparing to publish a sequel to the “Tang Tang Special Forces” IP.

Revenue from existing core games such as *Aion 2* and *Lineage* will also serve as a foundation for growth. “Lineage Classic” generated cumulative revenue of 427.8 billion won in approximately eight months since its launch, while the global service for “Aion 2” generated 110.3 billion won in revenue over 42 days, from its Early Access launch on September 30 through November 10. The company expects the revenue from these games to be reflected in next year’s annual financial results.

However, the company has no plans to pursue additional acquisitions in the core game sector, such as MMORPGs. When asked about future M&A plans, CEO Park stated, “We have no M&A plans in the core game sector for the time being.”