Nexon announced on the 12nd that an agency employee has been held liable for damages in connection with the leak of 'MapleStory' information and the preemption of character names.

Through a court ruling, Nexon secured a judgment holding the showcase agency and its employee liable for ₩50 million in damages for leaking non-public information. Furthermore, the company has permanently banned the agency from future business dealings.

The incident came to light ahead of the 'CROWN' showcase held on December 13, 2025. Two days prior, on December 11, users discovered that a character named 'Radiant Star' (찬란한흉성) had been created on the Scania server.

Further investigation revealed that the account had preemptively secured numerous names of unreleased content before their official announcements, including 'Immortal Legacy' (불멸의유산), 'Sin of Insolence' (오만의원죄), and 'Gearlock' (기어드락). These characters were made unsearchable in real-time during the showcase, further fueling suspicions.

Given the existence of the 'New Name Auction' system in 'MapleStory,' which allows for the trading of character names, suspicions arose that the individual intended to profit by preempting proper nouns before their official reveal. The incident drew intense demands for an explanation from the community, especially as it echoed past precedents of employee power abuse in other games.

In response, Nexon issued an initial notice on the day of the showcase, explaining that the account in question belonged to an employee of the showcase agency, not a Nexon staff member, and that it had been temporarily suspended.

In this follow-up announcement, Nexon emphasized, "We will continue to take a firm stance against any actions that involve leaking non-public information or using such information for personal gain."