NCSoft invests in Virtual Alchemy and Mistil Games to "enrich" its global pipeline with fresh IPs
NCSoft continues its global expansion by announcing two deals with two game development studios. This is in line with the Lineage maker’s strategy to diversify its portfolio.
Band of Crusaders
According to a blog post on its official website, NCSoft recently made two investments:
- Acquired an equity stake in South Korean studio Mistil Games and secured global publishing rights for its upcoming third-person shooter Time Takers;
- Signed a partnership with Polish developer Virtual Alchemy and acquired global publishing rights for its strategy RPG Band of Crusaders.
Mistil Games was founded in 2022 by former Pear Abyss developers, Black Desert art director Seo Yongsoo and Black Desert Mobile lead producer Jo Yongmin. In addition to Time Takers, which will be published by NCSoft globally (excluding China) in 2025, the studio is now working on online action-adventure game Gray.
Founded in 2022, Virtual Alchemy is a Warsaw-based studio led by veteran developers Dominik Sypnicki and Kamil Mickiewicz. The team’s debut project, Band of Crusaders, is a strategy RPG “set in a corrupted version of medieval Europe.”
“Our goal is to enrich our global pipeline with fresh IPs and bring high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” NCSoft co-CEO Byungmoo Park said in a statement.
In October, the South Korean publisher established four standalone subsidiaries through a corporate split-off. Three of them will focus on game development, including the recently launched MMORPG Throne and Liberty and upcoming shooter Project LLL, while the fourth entity will focus on AI technology.
By decentralizing its production efforts, NCSoft wants to become less dependent on its main franchise, Lineage. The company plans to support new games through standalone studios, while continuting to invest in third-party teams.
Deals with Mistil Games and Virtual Alchemy, as well as investments in Moon River Games and Vic Game Studios, are intended to strenghten NCSoft’s “global competitiveness” and help it stay “agile in response to emerging trends.”
