Nexon co-CEO Kang Dae-hyun (강대현) has taken direct charge as head of the Maple division to handle the fallout from 'Maple Raising'.

Nexon on Sunday posted an internal notice under the name of its executives that Kang will concurrently serve as head of the Maple division. The Maple division oversees development and operations of games based on the MapleStory intellectual property.

The executives said this will allow Nexon to review overall operations of 'Maple Raising' and improve the development environment and processes. They added they will spare no support and investment so the game can again become a service loved by users.

Kang Won-ki (강원기), who became the first head of the Maple division last year, was removed from his post along with some others in charge after being held responsible for management. Kang led the Maple division after serving as director of the PC version of MapleStory. The executives added they plan to take measures corresponding to the results through additional checks.

'Maple Raising', co-developed by Nexon and Able Games, was a hit after its release in November last year, topping revenue rankings on the two major app markets. But controversy grew this year as multiple probability-related issues surfaced.

For a month after launch, the maximum value of 'Ability' stats, which are reset at random by consuming paid currency, did not appear due to a code error. Users strongly protested after it later emerged that operators had secretly applied a patch.

There was also an issue in which the displayed attack speed value was not reflected in actual performance. Critics also said required probability disclosures were not properly carried out for the function of the paid random item known as a 'Fast Hunting Ticket'.

Nexon ultimately decided on full refunds, an unprecedented move in South Korea's game industry. Refunds cover the full amount paid from the game's launch through Jan. 28. The industry estimates the game's revenue over that period at 150 billion won to more than 200 billion won.