Game Research & Development Intern

Nexon wants to replicate ARC Raiders success with future games. Nexon is looking to replicate the success of ARC Raiders across its future portfolio after the shooter became a major contributor to the company's revenue and provided evidence that its Western expansion strategy can work. ARC Raiders generated more than ¥18.3 billion in revenue during Q2 2026, representing approximately 15% of Nexon's total quarterly revenue. The game has now surpassed 16.3 million units sold worldwide and generated more than ¥88 billion in revenue since launching in October 2025. Nexon President and CEO Junghun Lee said the game's performance represents more than strong commercial results. "ARC Raiders stands as proof that Nexon's Embark Studios team has developed a roadmap for creating and publishing games that can break through in highly lucrative Western markets dominated by legacy franchises. It's a new and potent capability for Nexon, and one we intend to replicate at scale." Nexon plans to support the shooter with Frozen Trail, its largest content update since launch, in October. The update will add a new map, weapons, enemies, gadgets and outfits, as well as a paid Premium Reward Pass. The company expects the update to help bring inactive players back while attracting new players. ARC Raiders is also being tested in China through a partnership with Tencent. A closed alpha held in July exceeded registration targets, while Nexon said early feedback regarding the game's localisation has been encouraging. Embark Studios CEO and Nexon Executive Chairman Patrick Söderlund also highlighted the game's development as evidence that the company's strategy of focusing on fewer, larger projects can succeed. "More recently, ARC Raiders has shown how the fewer, bigger thesis can work, offering a new model for development. A small team, working with new technology, a fresh idea, over 16.3 million units in nine months." The game's performance comes as Nexon attempts to diversify beyond its established franchises. Its three major franchises generated ¥81.2 billion in Q2 revenue, down 5% year over year, while newer and other titles increased 20% to ¥39.9 billion. ARC Raiders was a significant contributor to that growth. Nexon now plans to apply lessons from ARC Raiders and its MapleStory expansions to other projects. Upcoming releases include Arad: Idle RPG, DAVE THE DIVER Mobile, Azur Promilia and TEMPPAL: OVERGEARED in 2026, followed by several Dungeon and Fighter projects and other titles from 2027 onwards.

Tencent rejected the opportunity to make immediate returns on its $53 billion quarterly capital expenditure, instead choosing to develop its own AI models for long-term gains. Company executives revealed during Q2 earnings that demand for computing resources is so strong, Tencent could rent its infrastructure at 30 per cent profit margins compared to costs paid months ago. Chief strategy officer James Mitchell said the company could recover depreciation costs "almost immediately" through rentals. However, president Martin Lau said Tencent is pursuing a different strategy, allocating substantial computing resources to build state-of-the-art models and AI applications for the Chinese market. The company plans to generate returns by selling tokens for services like WorkBuddy and CodeBuddy. Tencent released its 295-billion parameter Hunyuan-3 model in July, with larger versions planned.