Nexon open to working with more Western developers after Arc Raiders success

Asian games giant Nexon is open to working with more Western studios following the blockbuster success of Arc Raiders.

Speaking to Game File, CEO Junghun Lee said that his company wants to do more with developers in Europe and America and has had a lot of inbound interest following the performance of Embark Studios’ extraction shooter. Arc Raiders has shifted over 12.4 million copies since its October release date; since the start of 2026, the game has sold more than 2.4 million units. It’s Nexon’s “most successful global launch” to date.

“We are able to enjoy more awareness in the western community now,” Lee said.

“And we also have a lot of different developers who are curious to know how Embark and Nexon work together. I think this is an exciting and amazing opportunity for us, and I do definitely have this willingness to work more with more western developers who are innovative.”

As Game File points out, Asian giants such as Tencent and NetEase have invested into North America and Europe only to retreat from these markets. Lee explains that companies need to be committed to Western countries, not least because of differences in labour cost.

“As an Asian company, making investment to the west definitely requires much willingness, I would say, because there has been [a big] increase in the development costs, including the labor costs,” he explained.

“Especially for the Asian region, if you compare those costs from western to Asia, it’s pretty different.

“Instead of pursuing too many different investments being made at the same time, you want to focus on selective teams and [commit] our full support, so that the team can also gain something from Nexon and that kind of mutually beneficial relationship can happen.”

Lee also addressed the remarks he had previously made about artificial intelligence. Following Arc Raiders’ successful launch (the game features some AI-generated voices), the Nexon chief was quoted as saying “it’s important to assume every game company is using AI”.

Lee stands by his remarks, saying that he believes AI can bring an “increase in development efficiency”. But, echoing remarks made by Embark boss Patrick Söderlund, he doesn’t think the human element should be removed from making games.

“The advancements of AI doesn’t mean that we want to reduce the number of people developing games,” he said.

“When it comes to making a game, obviously, there are some tasks that are kind of repetitive and kind of mundane, but definitely with the introduction of AI technology, we’ll be able to bring a great amount of efficiency there.”

The Nexon boss also acknowledged the negative reaction that has emerged from the games community in response to the growing presence of AI, saying he can see a “resistance towards AI and gaming”. Lee admitted that game companies do have to listen to their audiences.

“I think the answer here is pretty simple for me, because without users, there’s no games that will exist out there,” he said. “User voice is the number one thing that we should definitely consider and reflect [on].”