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Nexon partners with Blizzard to boost Overwatch player numbers in Korea

Published: 30 Mar. 2026, 14:09 Updated: 30 Mar. 2026, 14:19

A scene from game Overwatch [JOONGANG ILBO]

Nexon has signed a Korea-focused publishing partnership with Blizzard Entertainment to publish its shooter game Overwatch in the country, in an attempt to boost its declining popularity in the local market, Nexon said on Monday.

The two companies plan to launch the localized service within the year.

Overwatch, released in 2016, stands as one of Blizzard Entertainment’s flagship franchises and has drawn a steady global player base. However, its sequel Overwatch 2, released in 2022, struggled to maintain momentum.

In Korea, Overwatch 2’s share of usage at PC bang — internet cafes where users play online games — hovered around 3 to 4 percent in 2024.

Blizzard Entertainment outlined a restructuring plan during its Overwatch Spotlight showcase in February. The company changed the game’s title from Overwatch 2 to Overwatch and introduced five new playable heroes, with the change reflecting a rebranding of the existing game rather than a return to the 2016 version.

Nexon Korea Co-CEO Kang Dae-hyun, left, shakes hands with Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment. [NEXON]

Following the update, the game regained attention. It recorded a peak of about 170,000 concurrent users on Steam on its first day after the update.

Under the new partnership, Nexon will oversee domestic publishing for the PC version of Overwatch and handle Korea-specific live services and business operations. Blizzard Entertainment will provide the intellectual property and lead overall game development.

The two companies plan to introduce content tailored to Korean players and strengthen the game's presence in PC bang establishments. They also plan to hire additional staff, while details of the publishing arrangement will be disclosed later.

Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment, noted that Korean players have long been an important part of the company’s player base and helped shape Overwatch, adding that the partnership with Nexon will help deliver more engaging and dynamic experiences.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-JEONG [[email protected]]