The First Descendant highlighted as high-potential source of revenue in Nexon’s financial report 

Nexon recently released its financial report for Quarter 2 (April 1 to June 30) of the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2024 (Source: Gamebiz). The South Korean developer and publisher headquartered in Tokyo, Japan revealed that the success of Dungeon & Fighter Mobile in China contributed to them achieving record net sales and operating profit for the period. The company also expects the global hit looter shooter The First Descendant to greatly contribute to figures from July onwards, according to their quarter 3 financial outlook. 

Dungeon & Fighter Mobile (part of the Dungeon Fighter Online franchise) became an instant hit in China upon its release on May 21, 2024. It has been the top grossing mobile game in China for 11 weeks, only recently being knocked off the top spot on August 15 (source: Sensor Tower). “We are extremely pleased with our recent progress which includes breakaway performances by Dungeon & Fighter Mobile in China and a brand new IP, The First Descendant,” said Junghun Lee, Nexon’s President and CEO (Source: Nexon).

On a worldwide scale,The First Descendant is Nexon’s big multi-platform hit at the moment. Released on July 2, it is likely to contribute towards Nexon’s performance in Quarter 3 of 2024 (July 1 to September 30). Gathering momentum prior to release and being free-to-play, the TPS hit number one on the Steam download charts in its first week. Last month it reached an all-time high of 264,860 concurrent players on Steam alone, with average weekday numbers hovering between 30,000 and 60,000 players (source: SteamDB). Although praised for its fun online gameplay, visuals and character designs, the game has received mixed reviews based on its high levels of grind and low drop rates. It remains to be seen how profitable the First Descendant’s monetization system will be for Nexon.