S.Korean MMORPG 'Lost Ark' to launch in Chinese market

"Lost Ark," the popular South Korean MMORPG developed by Smilegate RPG, is set to make its debut in the Chinese gaming market next month. Tencent Games, the Chinese publisher of Lost Ark, disclosed on Wednesday through its social media channels that the highly anticipated game will commence services on Jul. 20.

Having acquired a gaming service permit, known as a "Version Number," from the Chinese government in late 2022, Lost Ark has already been catering to a limited number of users in China since April 12.

Launched domestically in 2018 and globally in the previous year, Lost Ark stands as Smilegate's flagship creation. It achieved remarkable acclaim by securing the grand prize at the Korea Game Awards in 2019 and attracting a peak concurrent user count of 1.3 million on the prominent PC gaming platform "Steam," capturing the attention of gamers worldwide.

Smilegate RPG, the subsidiary responsible for the development and operation of Lost Ark, falls under the umbrella of Smilegate Group. Notably, Smilegate RPG's sales last year amounted to 737 billion won ($571 million), representing 46.7% of the group's overall revenue.

In 2017, following the South Korean government's decision to deploy the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system, the Chinese government imposed bans on Korean content and culture, resulting in a halt in licensing Korean games.

However, recent developments indicate a change in this stance, with Chinese authorities issuing gaming licenses for Korean titles since December of the previous year.

Furthermore, several Korean games have successfully progressed through pre-registration and pre-release tests in the local market, suggesting an open door for entry into the lucrative Chinese market.

Coinciding with the forthcoming launch of Lost Ark, Smilegate's mobile role-playing game (RPG) "Epic Seven," which received its gaming license alongside Lost Ark, initiated regular services in the Chinese market a day earlier.

Write to Ju-Hyun Lee at deep@hankyung.com