Nexon, the developers behind The First Descendant, have been approached by Tencent with the proposal to buy out the company.
According to Bloomberg, Tencent Holdings Ltd. is looking to acquire Nexon, a prominent South Korean-Japanese video game developer, valued at approximately $15 billion. They even reached out to the family of Nexon’s late founder, Kim Jung-ju. The family is currently consulting with advisors to evaluate their options. Only recently was it revealed that Tencent acquired part of Arrowhead, the folks behind the incredibly popular Helldivers 2, and the fans are a bit concerned for the future of their beloved game. It looks like Nexon is the next in line.
Nexon is renowned for its popular titles such as MapleStory, the recently released The First Berserker Khazan, and, of course, The First Descendant. Tencent, a big name in the gaming industry, has previously invested in Nexon through its stake in NXC, Nexon’s parent company. This potential deal is in line with Tencent’s strategy to strengthen its position and further expand its influence in Asia. Now, what does that mean for TFD?
Tencent Wants to Buy Out Nexon for 15B – Is This Good or Bad for The First Descendant?
Tencent is infamous for their monetization policies and microtransactions, but Nexon is not a stranger to microtransactions either. Some would even say that Nexon are one of those responsible for popularizing gacha games in the first place. As we all know, TFD is a free-to-play game that earns its revenue through microtransactions (mostly by selling attractive skins), so claiming that Tencent would “add microtransactions to the game” is a bit meaningless.
However, while microtransactions exist in TFD, they are still pretty “lightweight” compared to what Tencent is infamous for. So, if Tencent gets involved, we may see an even heavier lean into microtransactions (like paying to access new content), and even an Android/iOS version of the game (they really love their mobile games out there!). Some fans are even worried that this acquisition would mean that their personal info would be sold to Tencent as well, but that is a whole other matter.
On the positive side, Tencent is a giant in the industry, so Nexon would benefit from greater funding, stability, and more resources, which will definitely keep the TFD afloat. But in what manner? Either way, the deal is still under consideration, and further developments are expected in the coming weeks.
