Nexon on March 31 denied the possibility of workforce reductions in a question-and-answer session at a capital markets briefing (CMB) in Tokyo and detailed its position on its 2027 targets and plans to improve its cost structure.

Asked whether there were any plans to cut staff, Chairman Patrick Soderlund (패트릭 쇠더룬드) said flatly, "There are absolutely no plans for layoffs." He added that the company values employees who come to work every day to make games and deliver experiences to users.

CFO Shiro Uemura (우에무라 시로) gave a more detailed explanation of the direction of cost efficiency efforts. He said, "This is absolutely not about restructuring or layoffs," adding, "It is about redeploying staff through pipeline adjustments and operating more efficiently."

CEO Jung-heon Lee (이정헌) said of performance bonuses, "It is a structure where profits generated by successful projects are shared with the staff directly involved in developing those projects," and added, "We want to maintain this compensation structure as much as possible." He said the company would apply sharper standards to its overall labor cost structure and redeploy staff to focus on new titles and live services. He said details of specific efficiency measures for the cost structure will be further explained at future quarterly earnings announcements.

Asked about its 2027 targets, Uemura set out a somewhat more specific position than in earlier remarks. He said, "The 2027 target was a level that had to be achieved to become the No. 1 entertainment company in the global market," adding, "It is not that the figures are impossible, but that it is difficult to reach them on the current timeline." He said the company would continue efforts to reach the target through a review starting in 2026. The direction of the existing target will remain, but the timing of achievement will inevitably be adjusted.

Asked when the company's AI strategy, "Monolake," would be implemented, Lee said it was planned long ago and is now in a full-fledged execution stage. He said progress in some areas is advanced enough to lead to tangible work results in 2026.

On its push into the Japanese market, Lee said the company is preparing to launch "Mabinogi Mobile" in Japan within the year. He also introduced "Project RX," the next title being made by the developers of "Blue Archive," which has a large fandom in Japan, as a title expected to perform in Japan. On the Western market, Soderlund said the company will continue investing in "Arc Raiders" and related franchises, and apply the same approach to Nexon-Embark new titles in development to seek expansion outside Asia.