Major Korean game studios have released long-awaited titles in quick succession, but their report cards are starkly divided. As new game performance directly affects corporate earnings, the results are expected to significantly influence future development directions and organizational restructuring.
Pearl Abyss (263750.KS) said its "Crimson Desert" surpassed 4 million copies in cumulative global sales just 12 days after its launch on May 20, according to industry sources on Sunday. The title shattered the record set by Neowiz's "Lies of P," widely credited with opening a new chapter for Korean console games, which took two years and eight months to reach the same milestone. Strong reviews from gamers in North America and Europe — the console market's biggest spenders — proved decisive.
"Crimson Desert," developed over eight years with an investment of 200 billion won ($145 million), initially drew harsh criticism for a weak narrative and awkward controls right after launch. But the tide turned as Pearl Abyss promptly embraced user feedback and rolled out eight rounds of rapid improvements. In particular, the game's overwhelming exploration elements and vast content have spread through YouTube Shorts and other short-form videos, generating powerful word-of-mouth marketing.
Pearl Abyss sold 3 million copies within just four days of launch, already fully recouping its development costs. Securities analysts project that sales could comfortably exceed 8 million copies if the title performs well in China, the largest market. The hit momentum is feeding directly into anticipation for Pearl Abyss's next title, "Dokkaebi." CEO Heo Jin-young previously told shareholders at a recent general meeting that the "Crimson Desert" development team would be deployed to "Dokkaebi" production, with concrete development updates to be disclosed within the year.
Netmarble's (251270.KS) new title "The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin" is delivering solid results. The game peaked at No. 6 on Steam's global top sellers chart immediately after launch and has maintained a position around the top 20 as of May 31, building a stable revenue base.
In contrast, Devsisters (194480.KQ) unveiled "CookieRun: Oven Smash" on May 26 with high ambitions, only to receive a disappointing scorecard. Market disappointment was immediately reflected in Devsisters' stock price, which fell for five consecutive trading days after the launch, sinking to a 52-week low.
"Oven Smash" debuted at No. 1 on app store popularity charts in both Korea and the United States but quickly lost momentum and slipped from the top ranks. The title failed to differentiate itself from Supercell's "Brawl Stars" in the same genre, while optimization problems including device overheating held it back. Devsisters, which had positioned CookieRun intellectual property expansion as a mid-to-long-term strategy, now faces an unavoidable overhaul of its business strategy after successive follow-ups to "CookieRun: Kingdom" failed one after another.
"Crimson Desert turned public opinion around by swiftly patching problems that emerged right after launch, planting the perception of a 'game that communicates,'" an industry official said. "Oven Smash, on the other hand, captured the IP's charm well but is mired in controversy over fatal optimization flaws such as frequent crashes, overheating, and network instability, requiring urgent countermeasures."