South Korean game giant Nexon said Thursday that its new survival co-op shooter Arc Raiders has sold more than 4 million copies and reached a peak of 700,000 concurrent players just two weeks after launch — a breakout performance that is accelerating the company’s global expansion strategy.
Developed by Embark Studios, Nexon’s Stockholm-based subsidiary, Arc Raiders is a third-person, extraction-style survival game set in a post-apocalyptic “Rust Belt.” Players take on the role of “Raiders,” scavenging for resources and battling mechanized foes across a dystopian Earth.
Nexon said the game’s rapid ascent in global markets stems largely from its accessibility. While extraction shooters are often known for steep learning curves and complex mechanics, Arc Raiders intentionally pares the genre down to its essentials, allowing newcomers to dive quickly into core action.
Its retro-futuristic identity has also resonated. Built around a “Cassette Futurism” aesthetic inspired by 1970s and ’80s analog sci-fi, the game blends high-resolution graphics, cinematic sound and fluid motion-capture animation to deliver a distinct visual and sensory experience.
Nexon credited Arc Raiders’ strong debut to its long-term bet on Western development. The company began acquiring Embark Studios in 2018, calling it a strategic move to secure a global-scale intellectual property rather than simply expand development capacity.
“The acquisition of Embark Studios was a strategic move to secure a major new IP for the global market,” a Nexon official said. “Our live-service expertise, combined with Embark’s experience from launching The Finals in 2023, laid the foundation for Arc Raiders’ explosive success.”
Buoyed by the game’s early momentum, Nexon reaffirmed its target of reaching 7 trillion won ($5 billion) in annual sales by 2027.
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