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Tencent resumes negotiations for acquiring game developer Nexon from South Korea, which is delving into blockchain technology.

Tencent, a significant Chinese tech company, allegedly plans to buy Nexon, a notable game developer based in South Korea.

Tencent, a significant player in the Chinese tech industry, allegedly explores a possible takeover...
Tencent, a significant player in the Chinese tech industry, allegedly explores a possible takeover of Nexon, a well-known South Korean gaming developer.

Tencent resumes negotiations for acquiring game developer Nexon from South Korea, which is delving into blockchain technology.

Hangin' with Tencent and Nexon: Acquisition Speculations

Here's a lowdown on the latest buzz swirling around China's tech powerhouse, Tencent, and South Korean game titan, Nexon. Reportedly, Tencent may be eyeing Nexon, known for the MapleStory franchise and more, but nothing's set in stone yet.

A sold-out Bloomberg report, dropping some anonymous deets, claims that Tencent's been chatting with Nexon's founder's family about a potential deal. However, it seems the parties are still tying their shoelaces, so no definitive terms have been decided. Let's not jump the gun here, y'all!

Nexon's family, owning a considerable stake through NXC Corp and its affiliated unit NXMH BV, is mulling their options. As per company filings, they collectively owned 44.4% of Nexon as of June 30th. Kim's family, specifically the wife and daughters, reportedly own about 67.6% of NXC.

If you're all caught up on Nexon, let me fill you in on a new baby in the block: NEXPACE. Launched in mid-2024 with a $100 million investment from Nexon, this division is gunning for blockchain glory, vowing to transform Nexon's top franchises into Web3 ecosystems. Yeap, they're jumping on the blockchain bandwagon, and how!

And you know what's MapleStory Universe? It's a gateway into Web3 for the MapleStory IP, brimming with NFT-based item mechanics, gasless transactions, and a native token economy powered by NXPC. They dropped it in May 2025.

Now, this isn't Tencent's first dance with Nexon. Back in 2019, they took a twist on the dancefloor but called it quits due to pricing squabbles. But fear not! Tencent and Nexon aren't just dance partners; they've been co-developing the popular title, Dungeon & Fighter, which contributes significantly to Tencent's gaming revenue.

With a broader downturn in blockchain gaming, Tencent's keen to keep that fun alive. According to DappRadar, daily active users took a dive to new lows in April, and monthly funding for blockchain gaming projects plummeted almost 70% during the same period. But Tencent doesn’t back down easily!

The tech powerhouse has been busy allocating funds in the blockchain sector, too. Last year, its investment arm led a $15 million Series A round for Chainbase, an omnichain data network. The company's also partnered with TON Foundation and Tencent Cloud to support blockchain infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region.

Last but not least, Tencent onboarded China's official metaverse working group earlier this year, led by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. So, Tencent's here to stay, folks. Whether they snag Nexon or not, they're set to dominate the gaming landscape!

  1. Tencent's investment arm, while keeping an eye on potential opportunities with Nexon, recently led a $15 million Series A round for Chainbase, an omnichain data network.
  2. Apart from the potential acquisition, Tencent and Nexon have collaborated in the past, co-developing the popular title, Dungeon & Fighter, which contributes significantly to Tencent's gaming revenue.
  3. Nexon, on the other hand, has ventured into the blockchain sector with NEXPACE, a division launched in mid-2024, aiming to transform Nexon's top franchises into Web3 ecosystems.
  4. NEXPACE's latest venture, MapleStory Universe, is an NFT-based platform brimming with gasless transactions and a native token economy, powered by NXPC, which it launched in May 2025.
  5. Despite the downturn in blockchain gaming and a 70% drop in monthly funding for blockchain gaming projects, Tencent remains adamant, partnering with TON Foundation and Tencent Cloud to support blockchain infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region and being a part of China's official metaverse working group.

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