Japanese gaming company Nexon reported declining revenue and profit for the third quarter, as weakness in its China mobile game business overshadowed strong performance from revitalized PC franchises. The Tokyo-based publisher posted revenue of ¥351.5 billion ($2.28 billion) for the nine months ended September, down 4.1% from a year earlier, while net income fell 21% to ¥81.2 billion ($527 million).
The results highlight persistent challenges from last year’s China launch of Dungeon & Fighter Mobile, which has seen sequential declines despite multiple updates. That weakness offset substantial gains from the PC version of Dungeon & Fighter, which grew 72% year-over-year, and the MapleStory franchise, which surged 61% on strength in Korea where revenue nearly tripled.
Operating profit dropped 7.2% to ¥116.8 billion ($758 million) as the company increased spending on royalties, creator compensation and advertising. Nexon also recognized foreign exchange losses during the period.
The company highlighted the late-October launch of ARC Raiders, which sold 4 million copies within two weeks. President Junghun Lee called it “the most successful global launch in Nexon’s history” for a new intellectual property. For the full year, Nexon projects revenue between ¥467.3 billion and ¥480.8 billion, representing growth of up to 7.8%.
