Nexon hit with layoffs

Important takeaways

Nexon America is laying off workers to establish a “western development group” under a new strategy, according to a report.
The company aims to hyper-localize games for specific markets such as North America and Europe.
Nexon has tried to diversify its game portfolio.

Nexonthe owner of games that Dave the diver and The first descendantis reportedly set to implement cutbacks in its US office. Headquartered in Japan, Nexon is an originally South Korean developer-publisher that started operations back in 1994.

In recent years, a series of redundancies throughout the gaming industry have affected many people's livelihoods. Even market leaders, such as PlayStation, have not been spared by the ongoing wave of layoffs. From small-scale developers like Surgent Studios to established stakeholders like Insomniac Games, various types of game companies have had to bear the brunt of tough economic conditions and restructuring needs. The latest victim of this brutal wave appears to be one of Nexon's offices.

Nexon America has laid off an undisclosed number of employees, according to a report from game developers. The layoffs were due to The first descendant the creator's decision to start a reorganization plan to help establish a “Western Development Group”, under company veteran Hanbyeol Oh, in Los Angeles, USA. While the exact number of people affected is not known, a spokesperson has reportedly confirmed that the cuts will only affect a “small number” of employees. According to the statement shared with the source, those leaving the organization have been offered severance pay while Nexon America has begun hiring in new roles, including engineering and design, as part of the next phase of its plans.

Nexon lays off employees in its US office as part of New Strategy

As reported by the source, Nexon wants to prioritize hyper-localization to better suit the players in key markets, such as North America and Europe. This move is part of CEO Junghun Lee's long-term strategy for IP growth, which gives importance to both new and existing franchises, such as the influential MapleStory series. Speaking at a recent event, they shared their vision for Nexon's future, which apparently aims to inspire “snowball growth.”

From Dave the diver year 2023 to The first descendant 2024 Nexon has made important additions to diversify its gaming portfolio in recent years. Earlier this year, Nexon made another notable business decision by fully taking over the subsidiary's studio and Dave the diver developer Mintrocket to speed up the development process. The latest call to restructure Nexon America and put together a local group for major markets appears to be yet another way to shake things up to fall in line with the CEO's long-term strategy.