Blade & Soul
Game
12 documents in the library are about Blade & Soul, from writers such as Netmarble, NCSoft and Game Developers Conference. Each has a summary and key insights with the page they come from.
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The documents about Blade & Soul on the inner ring, the other games and companies they name on the outer one. Select a cover to see it up close and open it in a new tab; drag to move, pinch or Ctrl + scroll to zoom.
Documents about Blade & Soul
NCSOFT Q4 2025 Earnings Release
NCSOFT’s financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025 demonstrate a return to operating profitability, with quarterly revenue reaching KRW 404.2 billion.
- NCSOFT returned to operating profitability in Q4 2025 with an operating income of KRW 3.2 billion, following losses in the previous period.
- Full-year 2025 net income surged 269% to KRW 347.4 billion, primarily due to a one-time gain from a real estate sale.
- Quarterly revenue reached KRW 404.2 billion, a 12% increase quarter-over-quarter, driven by a 92% spike in PC online game revenue to KRW 168.2 billion following the launch of Aion 2.
NCSOFT Q3 2025 Earnings Release
NCSOFT’s third-quarter 2025 earnings release details a period of operational contraction characterized by declining revenue and an operating loss, contrasted against significant non-operating gains.
- NCSOFT reported a Q3 2025 operating loss of KRW 7.5 billion on total sales of KRW 360.0 billion, representing a 10% year-over-year revenue decline.
- Net income reached KRW 347.4 billion, driven primarily by non-operating gains from property sales and favorable foreign exchange fluctuations rather than core operations.
- Mobile game revenue, which comprises 55% of total sales, fell 10% quarter-over-quarter due to strategic business adjustments.
Reinforcement Learning in Action: Creating Arena Battle AI for 'Blade & Soul'
The development of professional-level artificial intelligence for the 1v1 arena battles in the MMORPG Blade & Soul demonstrates the successful application of reinforcement learning (RL) to complex, real-time fighting games.
- NCSOFT replaced traditional hand-written AI rules in 'Blade & Soul' with reinforcement learning (RL) to create pro-level agents capable of strategic, multi-stage combat sequences.
- To ensure robustness and generalization, the team implemented a 'self-play' method where agents were trained against a growing pool of diverse, previously trained sparring partners rather than a single fixed opponent.
- The AI was trained to exhibit specific fighting styles—such as aggressive or defensive—by adjusting reward signal weights, allowing the agents to prioritize either damage output or HP preservation without hard-coded logic.
Netmarble 4Q 2020 Earnings Results
Netmarble’s 2020 fiscal year performance reflects significant growth driven by successful global game launches and the expansion of existing titles.
- Netmarble achieved 2020 annual revenue of KRW 2,484.8 billion, a 14.0% year-over-year increase, and an operating profit of KRW 272.0 billion, up 34.2%.
- Overseas markets are the company's primary revenue driver, accounting for 72% of total annual revenue.
- Fourth-quarter 2020 net profit reached KRW 103.3 billion, significantly bolstered by one-off gains from the listing of Big Hit Entertainment.
Netmarble 2Q 2020 Earnings Results
Netmarble’s second-quarter 2020 earnings results demonstrate significant financial growth, driven by the successful performance of new and existing game titles.
- Netmarble reported 685.7 billion KRW in Q2 2020 revenue, a 30.3% year-over-year increase, with operating profit surging 146.1% to 81.7 billion KRW.
- International markets generated 75% of total revenue, with North America serving as the primary region at 36% of total earnings.
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross was the top-performing title, accounting for 21% of total quarterly revenue.
Netmarble 1Q 2020 Earnings Results
Netmarble’s first-quarter 2020 earnings results reflect a period of strategic investment and revenue diversification, characterized by a focus on global market expansion and a robust pipeline of new game titles.
- Netmarble reported 1Q 2020 revenue of 532.9 billion KRW, an 11.6% increase year-over-year, despite a 4.0% decline from the previous quarter.
- Operating profit fell to 20.4 billion KRW due to increased marketing expenditures for new title launches in March.
- Net profit reached 57.5 billion KRW, driven by non-operating income including foreign exchange gains, dividend income, and equity method investments.
Netmarble 2Q 2019 Earnings Results
Netmarble’s second-quarter 2019 earnings results demonstrate a period of top-line growth driven by new game releases, alongside a strategic focus on international market expansion.
- Netmarble reported 2Q 2019 revenue of 526.2 billion KRW, marking a 5.1% year-over-year increase and a 10.2% quarter-over-quarter increase.
- Operating profit fell 46.6% year-over-year to 33.2 billion KRW, driven by higher marketing costs and labor expenses related to new game launches and a North American studio acquisition.
- Overseas revenue accounted for 64% of total earnings in 2Q 2019, with management targeting an increase to 70% by the end of the year.
Netmarble 1Q 2019 Earnings Results
Netmarble’s first-quarter 2019 earnings report details a period of financial contraction characterized by declining revenue and operating margins.
- Netmarble experienced a 54.3% year-over-year decline in operating profit to 33.9 billion KRW, resulting in an operating profit margin of 7.1%.
- Quarterly revenue fell to 477.6 billion KRW, representing a 5.9% decrease year-over-year and a 2.0% decline quarter-over-quarter.
- Net profit surged 189.7% quarter-over-quarter to 42.3 billion KRW, despite the contraction in operating performance.
Top Mobile Games: March 2018
This analysis examines the global mobile gaming landscape for February 2019, focusing on top-performing titles by revenue and download volume.
- Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle achieved its highest-earning month to date in February 2019, rising to No. 3 on the global mobile gaming revenue charts.
- Color Bump 3D by 101 Digital became the most downloaded mobile game across both Apple and Google app stores in February 2019, reaching No. 1 on Google Play.
- Matchington Mansion experienced significant growth in user acquisition, jumping to No. 2 globally on the iOS App Store with 6.6 million new users, up from 2.4 million in January.
Netmarble 4Q 2018 Earnings Results
Netmarble’s fourth-quarter 2018 earnings results reflect a period of contraction, characterized by a decline in both revenue and profitability.
- Netmarble reported a significant financial downturn in 4Q 2018, with revenue falling 20.9% year-over-year to 487.1 billion KRW and operating profit dropping 59% to 38.0 billion KRW.
- Profitability was negatively impacted by 25.8 billion KRW in one-off impairment costs related to intangible assets and goodwill, alongside a lack of new title releases.
- Overseas markets generated 68% of total revenue, with North America remaining the primary international contributor at 33%, followed by Japan at 12% and Europe at 10%.
Netmarble 3Q 2018 Earnings Results
Netmarble’s third-quarter 2018 earnings results reflect a period of moderate sequential growth despite year-over-year declines.
- Netmarble reported 3Q 2018 revenue of 526 billion KRW, reflecting a 5.0% increase quarter-over-quarter but a 9.6% decline year-over-year.
- Operating profit for the quarter reached 67.3 billion KRW, resulting in an operating margin of 12.8%.
- International markets remain the primary revenue driver, accounting for 73% of total earnings, with North America leading at 32% of the total.
Netmarble 1Q 2018 Earnings Results
Netmarble’s first-quarter 2018 earnings report details a period of financial contraction characterized by declining revenue and operating profit.
- Netmarble experienced a significant financial contraction in 1Q 2018, with revenue falling 26.2% year-over-year to 507.4 billion KRW and operating profit dropping 62.9% to 74.2 billion KRW.
- Net profit rose 50.6% quarter-over-quarter to 78.9 billion KRW, primarily fueled by non-operating income from dividend payouts from NcSoft.
- The company maintains a geographically diversified revenue stream, with 68% of total revenue generated overseas, led by North America (32%) and Korea (32%).
Companies behind it
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