The landscape of the Korean game industry is changing. Moving away from the long-standing formula of relying on “mobile, China distribution,” a series of premium blockbuster titles targeting PC and console users in North America and Europe are shaking the global market. Pearl Abyss’ “Crimson Desert” surpassed a cumulative 5 million copies sold worldwide on the 15th, just 26 days after its launch, setting the fastest hit record in the history of Korean console games. It exceeded, in less than a month, the 4 million copies that Neowiz’s “Lies of P” accumulated over two years and six months.

● Global success and a rush to Germany’s gamescom

According to the industry on the 22nd, Korean PC and console games have been achieving a string of successes in the global market this year. Shift Up’s “Stellar Blade,” which released its PC version in June last year, posted combined console and PC sales of 6.1 million copies as of January this year. Nexon, which is handling global publishing for “ARC Raiders” developed by its Swedish subsidiary Embark Studios, achieved cumulative sales of 14 million copies in about three months after the game’s launch in October last year.

Korean game companies have been choosing gamescom in Germany, the world’s largest game exhibition, as the debut stage for new titles, directly targeting console demand in North America and Europe. In fact, major titles that have recently led global success—including Nexon’s “First Berserker: Khazan,” Krafton’s “inZOI,” and Pearl Abyss’ “Crimson Desert”—all set up individual booths and unveiled demos (trial versions) at gamescom 2024 before their official releases.

Domestic game companies have turned their eyes to Western PC and console markets as the limitations of their existing revenue structures have become clear. According to the “2025 Korea Game White Paper” by the Korea Creative Content Agency, of last year’s KRW 23,851.5 billion in domestic game industry revenue, mobile accounted for KRW 14,071 billion (59.0%), while consoles accounted for only KRW 1,183.6 billion (5.0%).

The problem is that the domestic mobile market has hit a growth ceiling, heavily skewed toward “Lineage-like” mass-produced imitators and monetization models based on probability-type items. There is a growing sense of crisis that without tapping into PC and console, which together account for roughly half of the global market, it will be difficult to advance overseas or secure new growth engines.

This trend also intertwines with efforts to break away from dependence on Chinese distribution channels. According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system, as of the end of last year Tencent, through its subsidiary Aceville, held a 34.48% stake in Shift Up as the second-largest shareholder and was also a major shareholder in Krafton (15.02%) and Netmarble (17.52%). Shift Up had faced criticism for excessive dependence on a single distributor because 97% of its 2023 sales came from one Tencent-affiliated publisher, but on the back of the success of “Stellar Blade” it reduced that proportion to 56.13% this year.

● Lineup of PC and console blockbusters in the second half

Amid this trend, a series of PC and console blockbusters are set for launch in the second half of the year (July–December). NC’s transformation is particularly notable. NC will release “Cinder City,” an open-world tactical shooter set in a devastated Seoul, on PC and consoles, using a Korean setting to target Western markets. On the 22nd, the company also confirmed the global launch of “Aion 2” for the second half of 2026.

Netmarble pre-released the open-world role-playing game “The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin” for PS5 and Steam on the 17th of last month, while Krafton will roll out “Black Budget” and “PUBG: Blind Spot” in succession.

An industry source said, “For years, K-games have remained complacent in a structure where intellectual property (IP) is handed over to Chinese distributors such as Tencent in exchange for commissions,” adding, “This is a symbolic period in which true ‘IP independence’ is being achieved through direct entry into Western markets.”

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