Netmarble
 | |
Native name | 넷마블 주식회사 |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public |
| KRX: 251270 | |
| Industry | Video game |
| Founded | March 1, 2000 |
| Founder | Bang Jun-hyuk |
| Headquarters | Guro District, Seoul, South Korea |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Park Sean (CEO)[1] |
| Products | Video games |
 KRW 294 billion (2016)[2] | |
| KRW 209 billion (2016)[2] | |
| Total assets | KRW 1,957 billion (2016)[2] |
| Total equity | KRW 1,310 billion (2016)[2] |
| Owner |
|
Number of employees | 3,000 non-consolidated in Korea (2016)[2] |
| Subsidiaries | Kabam Kung Fu Factory Jam City, Inc. (minority stake) |
| Website | [1] |
Netmarble Corp. (Korean: 넷마블 주식회사) is a South Korean game developer and publisher, which was founded in 2000 by Bang Jun-hyuk.[4]
History
[edit]Netmarble originated from the game developer Ipopsoft (아이팝소프트), which faced financial trouble in the late 1990s. Bang Jun-hyuk, then an outsider, secured investment for the company and later took over as CEO, rebranding it as Netmarble.[5][6]
After early success, Netmarble was acquired by CJ Group in 2004.[7][8] Bang stepped down in 2006 due to health issues but returned in 2011 to refocus the company on mobile games.[8]
In 2015, Netmarble developed Lineage 2: Revolution, which surpassed $924 million in revenue within 11 months of launch. The company continued releasing RPG mobile titles like Seven Knights, Raven (Evilbane), and Everybody's Marble. As of 2015, it employed over 3,000 people and operated in 120+ countries. Netmarble went public in May 2017, raising $2.4 billion.[4]
Netmarble also formed a strategic partnership with CJ ENM and invested in SGN.[9]
Between 2015 and 2017, Netmarble licensed Disney IPs, producing games such as Marvel: Future Fight (2015),[10] Disney Magical Dice (2016),[11] and Star Wars: Force Arena (2017).[12]
In 2017, Netmarble acquired Kabam's Vancouver studio.[13] In 2018, it appointed Park Sean as co-CEO alongside Kwon Young-sik.[1]
That year, Netmarble acquired a 25.71% stake in Big Hit Entertainment (now Hybe Corporation), becoming its second-largest shareholder.[14][15]
Netmarble later shut down both Disney Magical Dice and Star Wars: Force Arena, citing lack of support, leaving only Future Fight active.[citation needed]
In 2021, Netmarble acquired Kung Fu Factory[16] and launched the subsidiary Metaverse Entertainment with Kakao Entertainment.[17] It debuted the virtual girl group Mave: in 2023.[18]
Marvel Future Revolution launched in August 2021 but was shut down in August 2023 due to underperformance.[19] In January 2024, Netmarble shut down Metaverse Entertainment and laid off 70 employees.[20]
As of 2021, Netmarble's major shareholders included Bang Jun-hyuk (24.12%), CJ ENM (21.78%), Tencent via Han River Investment Pte. Ltd. (17.52%), NCsoft (6.8%), and others (29.78%).[21]
In July 2025, Netmarble's liquidity was significantly strengthened by its investment in HYBE shares. Despite selling approximately ₩743 billion worth of stock in 2023 and 2024, it retained a 9.44% stake (393,813 shares) valued at around ₩11.07 trillion. Its original 2018 investment of ₩201.4 billion in HYBE had appreciated considerably. Additionally, its stake in NCsoft rebounded from a ₩1.5 trillion write-down to an estimated ₩400 billion in value.[22]
Also in July 2025, Netmarble considered issuing ₩2.5 trillion in exchangeable bonds (EB), backed by part of its HYBE stake, to repay debt incurred from its ₩2 trillion acquisition of SpinX. NH Investment & Securities was expected to underwrite the deal, supported by NH Hedge Asset Management and institutional investors. The company had previously used HYBE shares as collateral, including a 2023 block trade and a 2024 price return swap.[23]
However, in August 2025, Netmarble canceled the EB issuance due to volatility in HYBE's stock price following an "owner risk" scandal involving HYBE founder Bang Si-hyuk. The bond proceeds were intended to reduce SpinX-related debt, which has since been cut from approximately ₩1.6 trillion to the mid-₩200 billion range.[24]
Games
[edit]| Year | Title | Developer | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | GunZ: The Duel | MAIET Entertainment | Netmarble | Publisher in Korea only |
| Grand Chase | KOG Studios | Netmarble | One of many publishers | |
| 2007 | SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online | Softmax | Netmarble | |
| 2008 | Uncharted Waters Online | Koei Tecmo | Netmarble | Publisher in North America and Europe only |
| Prius Online | CJI | Netmarble | ||
| 2012 | Scarlet Blade | Liveplex | Netmarble | |
| District 187: Sin Streets | Netmarble | Netmarble | ||
| 2014 | Seven Knights | Netmarble Nexus | Netmarble | |
| 2015 | Marvel Future Fight | Netmarble Monster | Netmarble | |
| 2016 | Lineage 2: Revolution | Netmarble Neo | Netmarble | |
| Knights Chronicle | Netmarble | Netmarble | Initially Japan only; released globally in June 2018;[25] shut down on July 4, 2023[26] | |
| 2017 | Star Wars: Force Arena | Netmarble Monster | Netmarble | Shut down on January 12, 2019 |
| Arena of Valor | TiMi Studio Group | Netmarble | Publisher only in Korea | |
| 2018 | Jackpot World | SpinX Games | SpinX Games | SpinX Games was acquired by Netmarble in August 2021. |
| The King of Fighters All Star | Netmarble Neo | Netmarble | Shut down on October 30, 2024 | |
| BTS World | Takeone Company Corp | Netmarble | ||
| 2020 | Seven Knights 2 | Netmarble Nexus | Netmarble | |
| Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross | Netmarble F&C | Netmarble | ||
| 2021 | Marvel Future Revolution | Netmarble Monster | Netmarble | Shut down on August, 25th 2023. |
| 2022 | Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds | Netmarble Neo | Netmarble | |
| 2023 | Paragon: The Overprime | Netmarble F&C | Netmarble | |
| Tower of God: New World | Netmarble | Netmarble | In all countries on July 27, 2023 | |
| 2024 | Solo Leveling: Arise | Netmarble Neo | Netmarble | |
| 2025 | Game of Thrones: Kingsroad[27] | Netmarble Neo | Netmarble | |
| TBA | RF Project | Netmarble | Netmarble | |
| Shangri-La Frontier | Netmarble Nexus | Netmarble |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Netmarble names Park Sean as new CEO". Yonhap News. February 26, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "넷마블게임즈 주식회사 감사보고서" (in Korean). Dart. March 17, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ a b "Profile: Bang Jun-hyuk". Forbes. February 28, 2019.
- ^ "흙수저 딛고 1조신화…방준혁을 만든 'Do Dream'". 매일경제 (in Korean). March 2, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ 임재후 (January 22, 2020). "[Who Is ?] 방준혁 넷마블 이사회 의장". businesspost.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ Jin-young, Cho (June 7, 2018). "The Invincible Bang Brothers: Game and Entertainment Moguls Join hands". Businesskorea (in Korean). Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ a b Chung, Grace. "High School Dropout To Billionaire Status: How One Man Built Korea's Biggest Mobile Gaming Company". Forbes. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ "넷마블 분기보고서" (in Korean). Dart. September 30, 2018.
- ^ "Marvel: Future Fight launches from Netmarble". Marvel Entertainment. April 30, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2017 – via Marvel.com.
- ^ Jones, Elton (April 28, 2016). "Disney Magical Dice: Top 10 Tips & Cheats You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ^ Minotti, Mike (November 17, 2016). "Star Wars: Force Arena for mobile sure looks like a MOBA". VentureBeat. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ^ "Netmarble buys Kabam's Vancouver studio". gamesindustry.biz. December 20, 2016.
- ^ Herman, Tamar. "Netmarble Games Becomes Second-Largest Shareholder Of BTS's Label, BigHit Entertainment". Forbes.
- ^ "HYBE Corporate Governance". hybecorp.com. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (February 19, 2021). "Netmarble acquires Kung Fu Factory". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "메타버스엔터테인먼트, 공식 회사 홈페이지 오픈". Ch netmarble. November 8, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Jang, Woo-young (January 11, 2023). "메이브, 4인조 완전체 비주얼 첫 공개…러블리→힙 '4色 매력'". Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Derrick, Connor (June 5, 2023). "Marvel Future Revolution announces it will end service and leave storefronts in the coming months". Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ 김, 주환 (January 19, 2024). "기세 꺾인 메타버스…넷마블F&C, 메타버스월드 전원 권고사직". Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "Netmarble Corporate Governance". Netmarble. August 13, 2021.
- ^ "유동성 풍향계 넷마블, 은혜갚은 하이브 주식 '1조' 유동성 버팀목". thebell. July 16, 2025.
- ^ "'하이브 지분 활용' 넷마블, 2500억 EB 발행 추진". thebell. July 11, 2025.
- ^ "'하이브 주가 급락' 넷마블, 2500억 EB 발행 계획 철회". thebell. August 20, 2025.
- ^ 기자, 이복현. "넷마블, 사전등록 130만 돌파한 나이츠크로니클 출시". NSP통신 (in Korean). Retrieved December 21, 2024.
- ^ "경영 효율화 ·신작 줄대기...넷마블, 연간 흑자전환 총력전". 디지털투데이 (DigitalToday) (in Korean). February 27, 2024. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
- ^ "Netmarble: A New Game of Thrones Mobile MMORPG". BlueStacks. February 2, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Business data for Netmarble:
