WEMADE has continued to deliver stable results in the second quarter of 2024, following the first quarter, buoyed by the global sales of “Night Crows.”
On the 6th, WEMADE announced its second-quarter results, followed by a conference call on the 7th. WEMADE recorded revenue of 171.4 billion won, with an operating loss of 24.1 billion won, and net income of 400 million won for the second quarter of 2024.
WEMADE 2024 Second Quarter Consolidated Results Summary (Photo source - WEMADE 2024 Second Quarter Results Presentation)
The company’s revenue increased by about 8% compared to the same period last year, and although its operating loss continued, the company successfully reduced its loss from the previous quarter. The reduction in losses was due to the reflected sales warmth for “Night Crows Global” and a decrease in operating expenses due to cost optimization.
The second-quarter sales by business segment were 166.4 billion won from games, 1.7 billion won from licenses, and 1.7 billion won from blockchain. Although the revenue from its existing games decreased, the 86.2 billion won in sales from “Night Crows Global” led to a 9% increase the company’s game revenue compared to the previous quarter.
Its license revenue also increased by 64% compared to the previous quarter, due to new license agreements signed outside of China. Blockchain revenue decreased compared to the previous quarter, due to a base effect related to NFT sales and a drop in traffic due to the reorganization of blockchain services. In terms of blockchain revenue, “MIR4” and “Night Crows Global” showed regional sales shares of 59% and 75%, respectively, within Asia.
WEMADE's upcoming new title “Legend of Ymir,” like “Night Crows,” will debut in 2024 as a new MMORPG in Korea, with the game’s global service set to launch in 2025 incorporating blockchain technology.
“MIR M” has obtained a license and signed a publishing contract with The9 Limited in China. In addition, “MIR4” has signed a publishing contract with 37GAMES in China, and both titles have begun the process of obtaining licenses, forecasting a smooth service in China.
As WEMADE CEO Park Kwan-ho stated, "Legend of Ymir, which was recently tested by a select group of hardcore gamers and specialized YouTubers, received high praise for its graphics and action. Our internal expectations and goals are to be number one, and we are planning to launch by the end of this year." However, he added that the release could be delayed to early next year depending on the completion.
Furthermore, “Legend of Ymir” is already refining its blockchain system in-game. The currency system will limit the number of issued items, thereby ensuring the value of items is maintained, as first season items will not appear in the second season.
Furthermore, various new titles from WEMADE’s subsidiary companies, including the subculture collection RPG “Lost Sword,” healing casual “Abyssrium the Classic,” HTML5 turn-based RPG “Atlan Story,” and the puzzle games “Anipang Merge” and “Anipang Matchlike,” are in the preparation stage. The FPS game “This Means War” is expected to debut after 2025.
In the second half of the year, “WEMIX PLAY” and “WMIX Pay” will be revamped to accelerate the expansion of the WEMIX ecosystem, showcasing a transformed appearance in the second half of 2024. The blockchain-based social platform “Wepublic” has been designed to build a healthy blockchain ecosystem, with enhanced decision-making transparency and financial flow reliability. It is expected to be introduced as an open platform supporting various communities in 2025.
Meanwhile, WEMADEMAX's second-quarter revenue in 2024 grew by 8% from the previous quarter to reach 18.7 billion won. The company recorded an operating loss of 1.3 billion won and a net loss of 1.2 billion won. The increase in revenue had a significant contribution from the PC game “Silkroad Online” and the web game “Flyff Universe.” However, the net loss expanded from the previous quarter due to a decrease in gains from the disposal of investment securities in its affiliates and a reduction in foreign exchange gains due to currency fluctuations.
In the second half, WEMADEMAX will focus on developing its own IP and on securing a variety of new titles. Starting with the pre-registration for Wemade Connect's MMORPG “Legend of Mir2: Destiny,” approximately ten games, including the subculture RPG “Lost Sword,” are expected to be launched, which will significantly increase the number of new releases compared to the first half of the year.
김태만 기자 ktman21c@gamevu.co.kr