Observed Signal · Sep 1, 2026 · M&A - Completed · Source: Mobilegamer.biz · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
M&A Market: Korean NC Spends $300M on Four Studios, Plans More Acquisitions
Korean gaming giant NC (formerly NCsoft) has spent over $300 million acquiring four mobile game studios: Lihuhu (Vietnam), Springcomes (South Korea), Moving Eye (Slovenia), and JustPlay (Germany). The acquisitions bring about 200 live mobile games under NC's umbrella. Anel Ceman, head of social mobile, says the company will continue buying profitable studios that generate $50-100 million annually, focusing on markets like Japan, China, India, and Turkey. NC is building a central internal toolset for creative production, live ops, and A/B testing across its portfolio. The company's mobile casual division already accounts for 22% of revenue and aims to reach $5 billion by 2030.
NC's aggressive acquisition strategy consolidates the mobile gaming advertising market, expanding its reach into rewarded video and ad-monetised games, which impacts the in-game ad ecosystem.
Wichtigste Kernpunkte & Evidenz
- NC spent over $300m acquiring four mobile game companies.
- Acquired studios are Lihuhu, Springcomes, Moving Eye, and JustPlay.
- NC now operates around 200 live mobile games across these studios.
- NC targets mobile studios with $50-100m annual revenue for further acquisitions.
- NC aims to build a $5bn mobile casual division by 2030.
Verknüpfte Unternehmen
4 verknüpfte UnternehmenJustPlay
JustPlay ist eine technologisch vertikal integrierte Rewarded-Mobile-Gaming-Plattform, die Nutzerbindung über ein proprietäres, durch In-App-Advertising refinanziertes Reward-Ökosystem monetarisiert.
“Germany’s JustPlay, a rewarded gaming platform founded by several former AppLovin execs (acquired by NC)...”
Tripledot Studios
Tripledot Studios ist ein führender Entwickler und Publisher von Casual Mobile Games, der seine Reichweite durch datengesteuerte In-App-Advertising-Modelle (IAA) und In-App-Käufe (IAP) monetarisiert.
“Anel Ceman had worked in senior roles at Tripledot before joining NC....”
AppLovin
Eine führende Werbesoftware-Plattform für App-Wachstum, Monetarisierung und Messung.
“JustPlay was founded by several former AppLovin execs...”
NC
Südkoreanischer Entwickler und Publisher globaler Live-Service-MMORPG-Franchises mit hochgradig monetarisierten In-Game-Ökonomien.
“In the last year the MMO specialist formerly known as NCsoft has spent over $300m acquiring four mobile game companies....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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