Major South Korean game companies are strengthening their publishing businesses by finding and servicing games made by outside developers alongside in-house development. The move aims to widen sources of new titles as development of big-budget games stretches out and to reduce reliance on a handful of internal projects. NCSoft, Nexon, Krafton and Neowiz are expanding lineups through external titles and IP, seeking to diversify genres and shorten release gaps while sharing roles with specialist studios.

NCSoft has begun a global closed beta test for its new RPG \'Astrae Oratio\'. The five-day test runs through Oct. 6 on mobile platforms and is open only to selected users. It offers three main regional story scenarios, two mini stories in trailer format, and combat content centered on Minato and Shinjuku. The test also includes boss and simulation modes and character interaction features.