Nexon Hit With Layoffs

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Key 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 hyperlocalize games for specific markets like North America and Europe.
Nexon has been looking to diversify its game portfolio.

Nexon, the owner of games like Dave the Diver and The First Descendant, is reportedly set to conduct job cuts at its US office. Headquartered in Japan, Nexon is an originally South Korean developer-publisher that started business back in 1994.

Over the past few years, a series of layoffs throughout the game industry has impacted the livelihood of many people. Even market leaders, such as PlayStation, haven’t been spared by the ongoing layoff wave. From small-scale developers like Surgent Studios to established stakeholders like Insomniac Games, various kinds of game companies have borne the brunt of harsh 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, as per a Game Developer report. The layoffs came about due to The First Descendant creator‘s decision to kick off a re-organization plan to help establish a “Western Development Group,” under company veteran Hanbyeol Oh, in Los Angeles, US. While the exact number of people affected isn’t known, a spokesperson has reportedly confirmed that the job cuts will hit only 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 started hiring in new roles, including engineering and designing, 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 is looking to prioritize hyperlocalization 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 in 2023 to The First Descendant in 2024, Nexon has made important additions to diversify its portfolio of games in recent years. Earlier this year, Nexon took another noteworthy business decision by fully taking over subsidiary studio and Dave the Diver developer Mintrocket in favor of speeding up the development process. The latest call to restructure Nexon America and to put together a local group for major markets appears to be yet another way to shake up things to fall in line with the CEO’s strategy in the long run.