Nexon aims to grow its annual revenue to $5.2 billion by 2027 through IP expansion and hyperlocalization
Nexon aims to significantly increase revenue and operating profit in the medium term. The company has now detailed its new strategy to investors.
ARC Raiders
During its Capital Markets Briefing on September 3, Nexon set the following financial targets for 2027:
- Increase annual revenue to ¥750 billion ($5.22 billion), up 77.3% from 2023 (at a 15 CAGR);
- Grow its operating profit to ¥250 billion ($1.74 billion), up 85% compared to 2023 (at a 17% CAGR);
- Combined revenue of the Dungeon & Fighter, MapleStory, and FC franchises is expected to reach ¥530 billion ($3.69 billion) — up 76% from 2023.
Nexon plans to return over 33% of its annual operating profit to investors through dividends and share buybacks. It also set a target ROE (return on equity) of 10%, with the potential growth to 15%.
This strategy is built around the so-called IP Growth Initiative, which Nexon first announced in its latest financial report. Here are the two core pillars:
- Vertical growth — expanding core franchises like DnF and MapleStory into new platforms and markets;
- Horizontal growth — creating hit games based on its other franchises and investing in new IPs.
In terms of IP expansion, Nexon will focus on what it calls “hyperlocalization.” The company will create dedicated teams for each game to recognize the cultural differences between markets and produce custom content for different audiences.
When it comes to horizontal growth, Nexon cited ARC Raiders as a potentially successful new IP. It is a free-to-play extraction shooter from The Finals developer Embark Studios.
The company also plans to reach new players with projects like The First Berserker: Khazan, a multiplatform action RPG based on the Dungeon & Fighter franchise. The latter remains Nexon’s biggest IP, and thanks to the success of DnF Mobile, the company’s Q2 revenue in China exceeded $361 million (+209% year-over-year).
