Nexon is undergoing significant changes within its development division, including the recent restructuring of NeoPle, the studio behind The First Berserker: Khazan, with a large part of its team reassigned to Nexon’s Team R. These shifts are part of a broader review of the company’s project portfolio.
Following the recent appointment of Patrick Söderlund (founder of Embark Studios and known for the success of ARC Raiders) as Nexon’s new CEO, a comprehensive evaluation of all ongoing projects is underway. This review has led to the cancellation of “Project EL,” a game that had been in active development for two years within Nexon Korea’s Big Games division.
“Project EL” was an ambitious, large-scale open-world sandbox adventure, reportedly akin to a “fantasy GTA.” It originally began within the EF (Prasia Electric) development group under the Live Publishing division but was transferred to the Big Games Division in 2024 for full-scale development. The project was led by Sim Ki-hoon, who previously directed mobile MMORPGs such as ‘AxE’ and ‘TalesWeaver: Second Run’.
Söderlund has reportedly emphasized the need for a thorough re-evaluation of Nexon’s development projects and announced plans to implement the production management system utilized by Embark Studios. While no layoffs have been reported at this time, there are indications of “tensions” within various teams and concerns that more projects may face cancellation.