Nexon is looking to replicate the success of ARC Raiders in its future product portfolio. This shooter has become a major contributor to the company's revenue and has proven the viability of its expansion strategy in Western markets.
ARC Raiders generated over 18.3 billion yen in revenue in the second quarter of 2026, accounting for approximately 15% of Nexon's total revenue for the quarter. Since its release in October 2025, the game has sold over 16.3 million copies worldwide, with cumulative revenue exceeding 88 billion yen.
Nexon President and CEO Jung-hoon Lee stated that the significance of this game goes far beyond its impressive commercial performance. "ARC Raiders proves that Embark Studios, under Nexon, has found a development and publishing path capable of breaking through in the high-profit Western market dominated by established franchises. This is a new and powerful capability for Nexon, and we intend to replicate it on a large scale."
Nexon plans to continue supporting the shooter in October with "Frozen Trail," the largest content update since launch. The update will add new maps, weapons, enemies, items, and cosmetics, along with a paid premium reward pass. The company expects this update to help win back lapsed players while attracting new ones.
ARC Raiders is currently also undergoing testing in the Chinese market through a partnership with Tencent. Registrations for the closed beta test conducted in July exceeded expectations, and Nexon stated that early feedback on game localization has been encouraging.
Patrick Söderlund, CEO of Embark Studios and Executive Chairman of Nexon, also highlighted the game's development journey as strong evidence of the success of the company's "small but elite" strategy. "Recently, ARC Raiders demonstrated how the 'small but big' concept works, offering a new development model. A small team, leveraging new technologies and a fresh idea, sold 16.3 million copies in nine months."
The game's impressive performance comes as Nexon seeks to diversify beyond its mature franchises. Its three main franchise series contributed 81.2 billion yen in revenue in the second quarter, a 5% year-on-year decrease; meanwhile, revenue from newer and other titles grew by 20% to reach 39.9 billion yen. ARC Raiders was a significant driver of this growth.
Nexon now plans to apply the experience gained from ARC Raiders and the MapleStory series expansions to other projects. Upcoming titles include Arad: Idle RPG, DAVE THE DIVER Mobile, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and TEMPPAL: OVERGEARED in 2026, as well as multiple Dungeon & Fighter projects and other titles starting in 2027.