Netmarble
A South Korean video-game developer and publisher known for mobile role-playing, strategy, and licensed entertainment games.
Last updated October 18, 2026
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Overview
Netmarble Corp. is a South Korean video-game developer and publisher headquartered in Seoul. The company was established in 2000 by Bang Jun-hyuk after he took control of the financially troubled developer Ipopsoft, which had originated in the late 1990s. Netmarble began with a small staff and limited capital, but expanded rapidly through online games and later became one of South Korea’s most prominent mobile-game companies. The company’s business has centered on developing, publishing, operating, and monetizing games for smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and other digital platforms. Its portfolio has included internally developed properties, adaptations of established Korean game franchises, and titles based on international entertainment intellectual property. Major releases associated with the company include Seven Knights, Everybody’s Marble, Raven, Marvel Future Fight, Lineage 2: Revolution, Star Wars: Force Arena, and Marvel Future Revolution. Role-playing games, massively multiplayer online games, strategy titles, and collection-based games have been especially important to its commercial identity. Netmarble was acquired by CJ Group in 2004. Bang Jun-hyuk left the company in 2006 because of health concerns and returned in 2011, when the business placed renewed emphasis on mobile gaming. This transition coincided with the rapid growth of smartphone distribution and app stores in South Korea and international markets. Netmarble subsequently expanded its overseas publishing footprint and became active in licensing brands from companies including Marvel, Disney, and Lucasfilm. The company’s mobile growth accelerated with games such as Seven Knights and Lineage 2: Revolution. The latter, based on NCsoft’s Lineage intellectual property, became one of the company’s most commercially significant releases and helped establish Netmarble as a major global mobile role-playing publisher. Netmarble listed its shares on the Korea Exchange in 2017 in one of South Korea’s largest public offerings of that year. Beyond game development, Netmarble has pursued investments and acquisitions intended to diversify its assets and strengthen its entertainment ecosystem. It acquired Kabam’s Vancouver studio, invested in entertainment companies including Big Hit Entertainment—now HYBE—and later acquired a controlling interest in Coway, a home-appliance rental and wellness company. It also established Metaverse Entertainment with Kakao Entertainment and introduced the virtual girl group MAVE: before later closing that subsidiary. Netmarble remains primarily identified with games, but its corporate structure and investment portfolio have made it more than a single-product publisher. Its performance is exposed to the volatility of game launches, user-acquisition costs, intellectual-property licensing, platform policies, foreign-exchange conditions, and the competitive South Korean mobile market. The company continues to operate internationally, while its older titles have been retired when support or commercial performance no longer justified continued operation.
History
Netmarble traces its origins to Ipopsoft, a South Korean game developer that encountered financial difficulties in the late 1990s. Bang Jun-hyuk became an outside director in 1999 and took control of the business the following year. Under his leadership, the company was reorganized and renamed Netmarble. It began with eight employees and a modest founding capital base, then expanded through online-game development and publishing. CJ Group acquired Netmarble in 2004. Bang left the company in 2006 because of health problems, but returned in 2011 as the market shifted strongly toward smartphones and downloadable games. The company redirected substantial attention toward mobile development, live-service operations, and international distribution. This strategy produced a sequence of successful role-playing and casual titles, including Seven Knights, Raven, and Everybody’s Marble. Netmarble also pursued licensing arrangements with major entertainment companies. Its portfolio included Marvel Future Fight, Disney Magical Dice, and Star Wars: Force Arena. These projects gave the company access to globally recognized characters while allowing it to apply its expertise in mobile progression systems and online operations. Some licensed games were later discontinued when player support and commercial performance were insufficient, while Marvel Future Fight continued as the most durable of the Disney- and Marvel-related releases described in the company’s history. Lineage 2: Revolution became a major turning point. Released in 2015, the mobile massively multiplayer role-playing game used NCsoft’s Lineage intellectual property and helped demonstrate that high-production-value Korean online-game experiences could be adapted for mobile audiences worldwide. The success of this and other titles contributed to Netmarble’s international scale and supported its 2017 public listing. The company expanded its corporate footprint through acquisitions and strategic investments. In 2017 it acquired Kabam’s Vancouver studio. In 2018 it purchased a large stake in Big Hit Entertainment, subsequently known as HYBE, linking Netmarble to the Korean music and entertainment sector. In 2020 it completed the purchase of a controlling stake in Coway, a business whose rental and subscription model offered a counterweight to the hit-driven economics of game publishing. Netmarble continued to experiment with new formats and partnerships. It acquired Kung Fu Factory in 2021 and created Metaverse Entertainment with Kakao Entertainment. The venture introduced the virtual girl group MAVE: in 2023, but the subsidiary was closed in 2024. Netmarble also released Marvel Future Revolution in 2021 before ending the game’s service in 2023 because of weak performance. Today Netmarble is principally a global game developer and publisher, with a portfolio spanning mobile role-playing, massively multiplayer, strategy, casual, and licensed-property games. Its history reflects the broader evolution of South Korea’s interactive-entertainment industry: from online games, to smartphone publishing, to cross-media intellectual-property partnerships and corporate diversification. The company’s continuing challenges include maintaining long-lived game services, managing development and marketing costs, competing for player attention, and balancing a volatile games business with non-gaming investments.
- 2023
MAVE: debuts
[1]Metaverse Entertainment introduced the virtual girl group MAVE:.
- 2021
Marvel Future Revolution launches
[1]Netmarble released a large-scale Marvel mobile role-playing game.
- 2020
Coway acquisition is completed
[1]Netmarble completed its acquisition of a controlling interest in Coway.
- 2018
Netmarble invests in Big Hit Entertainment
[1]Netmarble acquired a significant stake in the company now known as HYBE.
- 2017
Netmarble becomes publicly listed
[1]The company listed its shares on the Korea Exchange.
- 2015
Lineage 2: Revolution is released
[1]The mobile MMORPG became one of Netmarble’s most important international releases.
- 2011
Mobile strategy gains renewed emphasis
[1]Bang Jun-hyuk returned and helped refocus the company on mobile games.
- 2004
CJ Group acquires Netmarble
[1]Netmarble became part of CJ Group.
- 2000
Netmarble is founded
[1]Ipopsoft was reorganized under the Netmarble name, launching the company that would become a major South Korean game publisher.
- 1999
Bang Jun-hyuk joins Ipopsoft as an outside director
[1]Bang Jun-hyuk became an outside director of financially troubled Ipopsoft before taking control of the company.
Products and positioning
A global, mobile-first game developer and publisher combining Korean online-game expertise with large-scale role-playing games, live services, and licensed entertainment franchises.
Mobile massively multiplayer role-playing game · 2015
Lineage 2: Revolution
A mobile online role-playing game based on NCsoft’s Lineage 2 universe. It combines large-scale battles, character development, guild activity, and persistent multiplayer systems. The title was a major example of Netmarble’s strategy of adapting established Korean PC and online-game properties for smartphones and international markets.
Mobile role-playing game
Seven Knights
A character-collection role-playing series built around turn-based or semi-automated combat, team formation, story content, and ongoing live-service events. Seven Knights became one of Netmarble’s best-known original mobile properties and supported sequels and related releases.
Licensed mobile action role-playing game · 2015
Marvel Future Fight
A mobile action role-playing game using characters from Marvel’s comic-book and cinematic universes. Players collect heroes and villains, improve teams, and participate in story missions and competitive modes. It is one of Netmarble’s longest-running internationally licensed game properties.
Mobile action role-playing game
Raven
Also known in English-language references as Evilbane, Raven is an action-oriented mobile role-playing title associated with Netmarble’s early expansion of high-production-value smartphone games.
Mobile board and casual game
Everybody’s Marble
A board-style casual game derived from property-trading and route-building mechanics. Its accessible format helped Netmarble reach audiences beyond role-playing enthusiasts and contributed to the company’s broad mobile portfolio.
Licensed mobile strategy game · 2017
Star Wars: Force Arena
A competitive mobile strategy game using Star Wars characters and settings. It combined collectible units with real-time tactical play, but Netmarble later ended service for the title.
Licensed mobile open-world role-playing game · 2021
Marvel Future Revolution
A large-scale Marvel mobile role-playing game featuring an open-world presentation, cooperative play, character progression, and a broad superhero roster. Netmarble ended the service in 2023 after the title underperformed commercially.
Controversies
2019
Woongjin Coway union protests Netmarble takeover and demands job security
In 2019, the maintenance workers' union at Woongjin Coway protested Netmarble's takeover of the company. The union demanded an open discussion of the acquisition and job security for workers. It also expressed concern about possible layoffs. The reported event concerns the union's protest and its demands; it does not establish that layoffs occurred. The source is a Korea Times article on the backlash Netmarble faced from the Woongjin Coway union.
Brand decisions
2024
Closure of Metaverse EntertainmentStrategyBackground
Netmarble’s metaverse and virtual-entertainment initiative did not remain an operating subsidiary.
Action taken
The company closed Metaverse Entertainment and reduced its associated workforce.
Aftermath
Netmarble returned its corporate focus toward its core game business and established investments.
2023
End of Marvel Future Revolution serviceOtherBackground
The game did not achieve the level of performance required for continued operation.
Action taken
Netmarble shut down the game.
Aftermath
The closure illustrated the commercial risk of large licensed mobile-game launches.
2020
Acquisition of CowayM&ABackground
Netmarble sought to diversify its corporate portfolio beyond the hit-driven games business.
Action taken
The company completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in Coway.
Aftermath
Coway became a major non-gaming asset within Netmarble’s group of investments.
2017
Public listingOtherBackground
Netmarble had expanded into a major international mobile publisher and sought access to public capital markets.
Action taken
The company listed its shares on the Korea Exchange.
Aftermath
Netmarble became a publicly traded South Korean game company.
2017
Acquisition of Kabam’s Vancouver studioM&ABackground
Netmarble wanted to strengthen its overseas development capacity.
Action taken
It acquired Kabam’s Vancouver development studio.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Netmarble’s North American development presence.
2011
Refocus on mobile gamesStrategyBackground
The game market was shifting from browser and personal-computer distribution toward smartphones and app stores.
Action taken
After Bang Jun-hyuk returned, Netmarble increased its emphasis on mobile development, publishing, and international distribution.
Aftermath
The strategy supported the growth of titles such as Seven Knights and Lineage 2: Revolution.
Recent events
Netmarble announces console release for Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE[4]
Reported:
Publisher Netmarble and developer Netmarble Neo announced that Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE will launch for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 3.
- Unconfirmed
The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross releases New Year Festival 2025 update[5]
Reported:
Netmarble announced that its game The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross released the New Year Festival 2025 update, featuring a new hero and limited-time in-game events.
- Unconfirmed
《Tower of God: New World》 update[6]
Reported:
Netmarble announced that its game 《神之塔：New World》 received an update featuring a new companion, events, and additional content.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin half-anniversary update[7]
Reported:
Netmarble announced that its multiplayer open-world RPG The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin will release a half-anniversary celebration update on August 26, adding the new hero Ban, main story chapter 16, a new equipment growth system, a new boss, and limited-time events.
- Unconfirmed
Netmarble releases 1.3 update for Monster Taming: STAR DIVE[8]
Reported:
Netmarble Corporation announced the 1.3 version update for its monster-taming action RPG Monster Taming: STAR DIVE, introducing a new 5-star character Brisel, a costume system, and various convenience improvements.
Seven Knights 2 launches its 77 Festival[9]
Seven Knights 2 is running its “77 Festival,” with missions and rewards for new, returning, and active players, to celebrate 77 days since its global launch.
Netmarble decides to acquire SpinX Games[10]
Reported:
Netmarble decided to buy social casino game publisher SpinX Games for $2.2 billion.
- Unconfirmed
Jam City raises $35 million in financing[11]
Reported:
In connection with its Ludia acquisition, Jam City raised $35 million in equity and debt financing from Netmarble, Kabam, and Fortress Investment Group.
Netmarble acquires majority stake in Kung Fu Factory[12]
Reported:
Netmarble announced that it had acquired a majority stake in Kung Fu Factory, which will become a subsidiary of Netmarble US.
WWE and The King of Fighters ALLSTAR launch game collaboration[13]
Reported:
WWE and Netmarble announced a collaboration bringing WWE Superstars and WWE-themed content to The King of Fighters ALLSTAR mobile game. The collaboration was scheduled to run through June 4, 2020, and the update was available at the time of the report.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources14 sources
- 1Netmarbleen.wikipedia.org
- 2Netmarble official websitenetmarble.com
- 3Woongjin Coway union protests Netmarble takeover and demands job securitykoreatimes.co.kr
- 4Netmarble宣布《Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE》推出主机版vgchartz.com
- 5《七大罪：光与暗之交战》推出「New Year Festival 2025」更新n.yam.com
- 6《神之塔：New World》推出更新n.yam.com
- 7《七大罪：Origin》半周年庆典更新n.yam.com
- 8网石《魔御：STAR DIVE》推出1.3版本更新n.yam.com
- 9《七骑士2》推出“77庆典”animenewsnetwork.com
- 10Netmarble决定收购SpinX Gameskedglobal.com
- 11Jam City 筹集3500万美元融资gamesindustry.biz
- 12Netmarble 收购 Kung Fu Factory 多数股权gamesindustry.biz
- 13WWE与《The King of Fighters ALLSTAR》推出游戏联动wrestlinginc.com
- 14WWE Announces Details On King of Fighters ALLSTAR Collaboration | 411MANIA | Wrestling News, WWE & AEW Results411mania.com
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