Nexon and Blizzard said on Monday they have signed a South Korea publishing agreement for the PC game Overwatch, aiming to launch the service within 2026.

Overwatch is Blizzard’s flagship franchise game released in 2016. Blizzard unveiled, via a showcase in February, a feature-length story to unfold over 1 year and 5 new heroes, and it plans to introduce another 5 new heroes within 2026.

Under the partnership, Nexon will handle domestic publishing for PC Overwatch and will carry out live service and business operations tailored to the South Korean market within 2026. Blizzard will provide the Overwatch intellectual property and oversee game development.

The companies plan to roll out hyper-localized content tailored to the South Korean market and expand the PC bang ecosystem to strengthen domestic service.

Nexon and Blizzard also plan additional local hiring to realize their shared vision. Details on the publishing transfer will be disclosed later.

Nexon co-CEOs Kang Dae-hyun (강대현) and Kim Jung-wook (김정욱) said, "We are glad to be working with Blizzard on the Overwatch IP." They added, "By combining Blizzard’s development capabilities and Nexon’s live service expertise, we will provide content optimized for domestic users and an enhanced service experience."

Blizzard President Johanna Faries (조해나 패리스) said, "Korean players are an important part of the global community." She added, "We look forward to being a partner with Nexon, which has expertise in live operations, and hope to deliver new experiences to players."