NCSoft Faces Layoffs and Restructuring Amid Throne and Liberty's Successful Launch

Recent developments at NCSoft highlight significant changes within the renowned South Korean gaming company, known for its flagship titles such as Throne and Liberty and Guild Wars 2. The organization is undergoing a major restructuring that includes a considerable number of layoffs, as it addresses ongoing financial challenges.

A report from a South Korean news agency outlined statements made by NCSoft's co-CEOs, who expressed regret about the layoffs and the need for reorganization. They acknowledged that the company's financial struggles stem from an operational model that centralizes most activities at its main office and emphasized that this approach has hindered creativity and innovation.

Founded in 1997 and based in Seoul, NCSoft now plans to foster new video game development through independent studios, each maintaining its unique culture and methodology. The recently released Throne and Liberty, which gained a substantial player base upon its global launch through Amazon Games, is being developed further as an independent studio.

NCSoft's structure is now partitioned into four divisions: NCAI, Studio X, Studio Y, and Studio G, with Studio X specifically responsible for Throne and Liberty. The repercussions of NCSoft's difficulties on ArenaNet, the studio responsible for Guild Wars, remain uncertain. Although Guild Wars 3 was reportedly in development earlier this year, work on Guild Wars 2 still continues actively.

Alongside the layoffs, some game projects will be canceled as part of a voluntary retirement program. The co-CEOs indicated that substantial changes are necessary for the future and sustainability of NCSoft, assuring support and compensation for those impacted.

This month, it was announced that Throne and Liberty enjoyed a remarkable milestone, with over three million players joining in its first week after release. Initially envisioned as a sequel to Lineage, the game offers both PvE and PvP elements in a vibrant open world, though its development faced multiple delays over recent years.

Throne and Liberty ultimately launched on October 1 for PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X and S, quickly rising to prominence on Steam, where it recorded a peak of 336,300 concurrent players. The title continues to be among the top games played on Steam, with player statistics from Sony and Microsoft remaining undisclosed.