Corporate Info

About NCsoft.com

Established in 1997, NCsoft® Corporation has quickly become the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games with offices in Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. As a leader in the online space, NCsoft is one of only a few publishers worldwide with the expertise, the talent and the infrastructure to successfully support multiple MMO games globally. The mission to 'bring fun to everyone' is pervasive in the tenets of the company and allows it to standout in the industry.

In 1998, NCsoft launched its flagship product, Lineage® in Seoul, South Korea. Today Lineage® is played simultaneously by hundreds of thousands of players in its top territories all over the world. Lineage II, launched in 2003, continued the game series' massively popular status. Together, Lineage and Lineage II have reached multiple millions of customers worldwide.

In 2000, NCsoft made its initial public stock offering, and as of 2003 the Korean Stock Exchange has traded NCsoft stocks under the listing KSE: 036570.KS. The company expanded to North America in 2001. A fully localized Lineage was launched shortly afterwards in North America.

In April 2004, Lineage II and City of Heroes® were launched in North America. Just a few months later, NCsoft Europe was established in Brighton, England. By the end of 2004 Lineage II was also on store shelves across Europe, with City of Heroes following closely behind in early 2005.

2005 also saw the simultaneous launch of Guild Wars® across Europe and North America, a major new franchise for NCsoft which has since sold more than six million units. City of Heroes also expanded its franchise in 2005 with the launch of City of Villains® on October 31st.

In 2006, two further installments of the Guild Wars franchise - Guild Wars Factions™ and Guild Wars Nightfall™ - were also launched within six months of each other, both to worldwide acclaim. Then, in August 2007 NCsoft launched the expansion pack to Guild Wars called Guild Wars: Eye of the North™.

With a successful history creating a diverse catalog of MMO games that appeal to many different types of players, NCsoft has made an indelible mark on the games industry. In September 2008 NCsoft combined the North American and European business units to follow a unified vision of bringing AAA MMOs to the West called NCsoft West. Based in Seattle, Washington, this organization was formed as part of NCsoft's ongoing vision to be the premier global MMO publisher in the world with operating responsibilities for the Americas, and EMEA.

Following huge success in Asia, the company released Aion™ in 2009 to the European and North American markets. Showered with critical acclaim from media and gamers, Aion became the industry's biggest MMO launch that year.

Currently, NCsoft studio ArenaNet is working towards the launch of Guild Wars 2™, the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars, with a 'beta' test expected to commence later in 2011. Additionally, gamescom 2011 hosted the unveiling of Carbine Studios' project; Wildstar ™, a futuristic fantasy MMORPG.

NCsoft is well positioned for continued success in all of its markets with the right infrastructure and excellent products and franchises, including Lineage II, City of Heroes, Aion, Guild Wars, and WildStar.