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Korean Gaming Sector Comeback: Krafton (PUBG) vs NCSoft (Lineage) Recovery Analysis

Korean gaming sector rebounds on Krafton's inZOI success and NCSoft's restructuring effects. We compare strategic differences and investment appeal of both companies.

🤖 AI Analyst2026年2月4日 00:00

Korean Gaming Industry 2026 Status

The Korean gaming market is approximately ₩22 trillion in 2025, maintaining its 4th global ranking. Mobile gaming remains dominant at 50%+ share, but PC/console gaming growth is notable.

Krafton (259960): Return of the Growth Stock

PUBG Franchise Status

PUBG: Battlegrounds: Maintaining 35M global MAU
PUBG Mobile: 600M global MAU, dominating India and Southeast Asia
2025 PUBG franchise revenue: ₩2.8T (+15% YoY)
Esports league operations strengthening brand value

inZOI: New IP Blockbuster Success

12M cumulative sales in 6 months since September 2025 launch
Steam peak concurrent users: 350K
Established as alternative to EA's The Sims franchise
2026 content expansion packs and season pass expected to increase ARPU
Pursuing UGC (User Generated Content) platform strategy

Earnings Outlook

Item20252026EGrowth

|------|------|-------|--------|

Revenue₩3.5T₩4.8T+37%
Operating Profit₩950B₩1.5T+58%
OPM27.1%31.3%+4.2%p

NCSoft (036570): Post-Restructuring Rebound

Lineage Franchise Stabilization

Lineage M/Lineage W: Revenue decline decelerating, -8% YoY (improved from -22% in 2024)
Lineage IP expanding in Asia (Taiwan, Japan)
Lineage-type new title 'Project LLL' targeting H2 2026 global launch

Restructuring Effects

25% workforce reduction in 2025 saving ₩300B in labor costs
Non-core business divestiture (baseball team, real estate)
R&D focus: 3 new titles under development on Unreal Engine 5
2026 operating profit turnaround expected

Valuation Appeal

Current PBR 0.8x → Historical low
Cash holdings ₩1.2T → 25% of market cap
Net cash position with solid financial stability

Comparative Analysis

FactorKraftonNCSoft

|--------|---------|--------|

Growth★★★★★★★★☆☆
Profitability★★★★☆★★☆☆☆
ValuationFairUndervalued
New Title MomentumStrongModerate
Global CompetitivenessStrongWeak

Investment Opinion

Krafton: inZOI success + PUBG stability justifies growth premium. Buy (TP ₩450,000)
NCSoft: Restructuring effects and undervaluation appeal but new title risk exists. Neutral (TP ₩220,000)

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🤖AI Confidence Score

80%

Based on data quality, market correlation, and historical accuracy

💡Methodology

This analysis is auto-generated by AI combining investment bank reports, earnings data, market data, and news sentiment. Not investment advice.