NC America, NCSOFT’s North American subsidiary, signaled its determination to push deeper into global markets as it took part in Europe’s largest game show, gamescom 2025, held on August 21 in Cologne, Germany.

On the show floor in Cologne, NC America CEO Jeonghee “JJ” Jin said she is focused on enabling NCSOFT to grow sustainably in Western markets. She explained that the team has been prioritizing improvements to service quality for existing live-service titles and strengthening both capabilities and strategy to successfully support the global launches of new games. 

Jin noted that among Korean publishers, NCSOFT enjoys comparatively high brand recognition in the West and is broadly perceived as a major studio. She acknowledged that while some past initiatives are labeled as failures by outside observers, she views them as meaningful attempts that laid groundwork; thanks to those efforts, she believes evaluations of the company’s scale and operations are fairly strong in the United States. 

She also addressed a common stereotype—that Korean companies only make “pay-to-win” games—adding that NCSOFT is not entirely free of that reputation in Western markets but is working to dispel it through concrete actions. 

Regarding the decline in North American and European revenues from Q4 last year through Q2 this year, Jin projected that upcoming new titles, along with rebound efforts for current live-service games, would soon yield positive results. 

Explaining the company’s purpose at this year’s gamescom, Jin said the primary goal was to build awareness around projects preparing for global launch. Because NCSOFT has not had many opportunities to promote its titles specifically for Western audiences, she wanted to use the event to inform local media that the company is properly preparing these games. She added that the invite-only VIP showcase was also designed to communicate with industry-savvy journalists and gather constructive feedback. 

According to Jin, Western industry contacts responded largely positively to NCSOFT’s new-title lineup. While the expectation was that attention would concentrate on the shooters Cinder City and Time Takers, interest in AION 2 also proved very strong. 

Speaking personally, Jin said she hopes the shooter Cinder City performs well. Competition in the genre is fierce, but with players’ expectations for fresh experiences being high, she wants to deliver strong results. 

Jin also discussed the global version of Blade & Soul Heroes, noting that certain story elements have been adjusted and the monetization model localized for Western audiences. While user opinion in Korea was mixed, she observed that Western players responded favorably to the art and characters. The team has preserved the strengths of the original while improving early-game immersion. 

Looking ahead, Jin said the organization will continue building capacity to support new projects in addition to existing titles, emphasizing a focus on supporting the business and operations for NCSOFT’s globally launching games in North America and Europe. 

Jin expressed confidence that from 2026, global revenue will grow explosively. She said NC America is discussing headcount expansion with headquarters, with plans to hire talent experienced in mobile and console in addition to PC, and is also considering the formation of a dedicated European business team. 

She added that she has been in steady communication with CEO Kim Taek-jin, describing him as deeply committed to global growth and possessing sharp insight into games. From its early days—such as the company’s U.S. entry in 2000—NCSOFT has consistently pursued global expansion; those repeated challenges and trial-and-error have become part of the company’s DNA and are expected to work to its advantage.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.