PANGYO, Korea (November 28, 2024) – NCSOFT today announced the approval of its restructuring plan to establish an independent studio system, involving multiple specialized studios, at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held today at the Pangyo R&D Center.

The decision, made by the board on October 21, confirms the establishment of four wholly owned private subsidiaries that will operate independently under NCSOFT’s corporate umbrella.

The new structure includes three game development studios—FirstSpark Games, BigFire Games, Ludius Games—and an AI-focused company, NC AI. These new entities are set to launch on February 1, 2025.

• FirstSpark Games will manage the development of THRONE AND LIBERTY (TL). Building on the success of TL’s global launch on October 1, FirstSpark Games will focus on expanding TL into a global IP by strengthening partnerships and maintaining independent operations for specialized development. Moonyoung Choi, current head of TL Camp, will serve as CEO.
• BigFire Games will focus on the development of LLL, a competitive shooter IP with the potential to achieve global success. Operating independently, BigFire Games will work to enhance its expertise and development capabilities in this genre. Jaehyun Bae, head of LLL Seed, will take the CEO role.
• Ludius Games will oversee the development of TACTAN, a strategy-genre project with significant potential for global success. The studio will foster a creative, fast-paced decision-making environment, enabling rapid development under an independent framework. Minseok Seo, head of Project G Seed, will serve as CEO.
• NC AI will advance proprietary AI technologies such as VARCO LLM, integrating them into game development while exploring new business opportunities. Yeonsoo Lee, head of NC Research (NCSOFT’s AI R&D division), will lead this entity as CEO.

“This transition to an independent studio structure will foster a development culture that prioritizes speed, flexibility, and innovation while actively driving the creation of global IPs,” said Byungmoo Park, co-CEO and acting chairperson of the shareholder meeting. “We are committed to empowering these new studios to develop their expertise and technologies, ensuring their competitiveness on the global stage. We will also focus on solidifying NCSOFT’s foundation for sustainable growth moving forward.”