Nexon, the South Korean publisher of mobile and PC online games, is up for sale, as per a report published in the Korea Economic Daily newspaper (via Reuters). Nexon Founder Kim Jung-ju and his wife Yoo Jung Hyun are reportedly looking to sell 98.64 per cent of their holding stake in NXC Corp, Nexon’s holding firm, as per anonymous industry sources cited in the firm.
The deal is estimated to be worth around ₩10 trillion, which is roughly $8.9 billion. Among the potential buyers are Electronic Arts, as well as Tencent, while Nexon’s rival South Korean companies Kakao Corp and Netmarble Corp are also in the running. Though the report cites the firm Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank as being the ones overseeing the managing of the sale, both have been unavailable for a comment on the same so far.
As mentioned earlier, Nexon has garnered massive business for itself by being the publisher of a large number of online games for mobile and PC audiences. While they’ve been involved in publishing games such as FIFA Online, Counter-Strike Online, Final Fantasy 14, and TERA in Asian markets, they’re also known for having developed notable titles of their own, such as Dungeon&Fighter, which remains one of the most popular free-to-play online games on PC in China.