When covering overseas game shows, one notices the difference between global and domestic game companies. A prime example is that global companies prominently display their company names on their booths, whereas domestic companies highlight their game titles.
The reason is that "foreign gamers are not very familiar with the names of domestic game companies." While game titles have gained some recognition through marketing budgets, this has not translated into interest in the companies behind them. This offers a glimpse into the position of domestic game companies in the global market.
In this context, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Game Industry Association have established a Global Game category for the Korea Game Awards, stirring up the gaming industry. As domestic game companies continue to knock on the doors of the global market, results have been modest so far, but there is an expectation that such government-level encouragement could serve as a significant motivation.
Among the candidates for the first global game award, "Ark Raiders" is considered the most likely winner. Developed by Embark Studios, a subsidiary of Nexon, the game surpassed 16.3 million cumulative global sales within nine months of its release. It maintains a Metacritic score of 86, OpenCritic's highest rating of "Mighty," and a "Very Positive" user review status on Steam. It has achieved seven wins at major global ceremonies, including "The Game Awards 2025," "Steam Awards," and the "BAFTA Games Awards."
Ark Raiders demonstrates how far domestic game companies can go in achieving success in the global market through publishing strategies. Nexon invested from the early days of Embark Studios' establishment and acquired it as a wholly owned subsidiary. Nexon evaluates that they were able to create a high-quality game by respecting the studio's creativity and maintaining an approach focused on long-term development prioritizing completion and autonomy.
NC's "Aion 2," which peaked at 400,000 concurrent users immediately after its release, is also a major candidate. It currently holds the top spot on the Japanese Steam sales chart for three consecutive weeks, continuing its global success trend. The game has ranked in the upper echelons of charts in various regions, including Asia, Europe, and South America, and has surpassed 40 million cumulative viewing hours on Twitch, maintaining a top-tier position in the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) genre.
Smilegate's "Chaos Zero Nightmare" is also a contender. Chaos Zero Nightmare has proven its global competitiveness by being selected as "Best New Subculture Game of 2025" at the APAC Awards, announced by Sensor Tower. The game achieved 3.5 million global downloads and 40.2 billion won in revenue within one month of release, and won the Gold Award in the mobile game category at the Taiwan Bahamut Game & Animation Awards.
In addition, Netmarble's "Seven Deadly Sins Origin" also has a chance of winning. Since its release, it has recorded as high as 6th place in global Steam revenue and surpassed 1.8 million sales within one month of launch. It has achieved balanced success in North America, Europe, and Asia, currently holding a score of 4.35 out of 5 on PlayStation 5 reviews. Pearl Abyss's "Crimson Desert," which surpassed 6 million cumulative global sales within 83 days of release, is more likely to win the Korea Game Award than the Global Game Award.
I hope that one day, at events like Gamescom in Cologne or Tokyo Game Show, the names of Korean game companies will also shine brightly.
in TECH
