Netmarble’s mobile game “Solo Leveling: ARISE” clinched the Presidential Prize at the 2024 Korea Game Awards on November 13. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
BUSAN, Nov. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – In a fierce competition for South Korea’s most prestigious gaming award, Netmarble’s mobile game “Solo Leveling: ARISE” clinched the Presidential Prize at the 2024 Korea Game Awards on November 13, marking the company’s biggest success of the year.
Based on “Solo Leveling,” a popular Korean cultural export that has garnered significant following across Japan, Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe, the game had generated unprecedented pre-launch interest with 15 million pre-registrations – a rare achievement for a South Korean game.
Solo Leveling: ARISE (Image courtesy of Netmarble)
Netmarble Neo, the developer, reimagined the intellectual property as an action role-playing game (RPG), building upon the original’s characters and narrative while introducing new content.
Since its global launch on May 8, the game has amassed 50 million users within five months, establishing itself as a successful case study in K-content media adaptation.
The game’s success has proved transformative for Netmarble, which had posted losses for seven consecutive quarters until the fourth quarter of last year. Following cost-cutting measures and the game’s release in the second quarter, the company’s financial performance has shown significant improvement.
While the game’s success partly stems from the popularity of its source material, it has earned praise for its own merits.
Unlike the massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) that are prevalent in South Korea, Solo Leveling: ARISE focuses on single-player content with manual controls and has been commended for its restrained monetization approach.
The 2024 Korea Game Awards (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Players have particularly appreciated its storytelling, which follows the journey of Sung Jinwoo, a weak E-rank hunter who gradually evolves into a powerful warrior.
The game’s victory came as a surprise to industry observers, who had considered Shift Up’s “Stellar Blade” and Nexon’s “The First Descendant” as frontrunners for the top prize.
Despite the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s recent emphasis on supporting high-budget console game development, which seemed to favor these candidates, both games faced limitations.
“Stellar Blade,” despite critical acclaim, was hampered by its PlayStation 5 exclusivity, while “The First Descendant” struggled to maintain its initial player base.
Solo Leveling: ARISE’s successful blend of gaming excellence and commercial success, coupled with its strategic partnership with Korea’s emerging webtoon industry, ultimately secured Netmarble its first Presidential Prize at the Korea Game Awards in nine years.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
