South Korean game giant Nexon fined nearly $9 million for player deception

According to reports from Korean Times and Business Korea, Nexon is facing a fine of around $8.85 million (approximately 11.6 billion won, 220 billion Vietnamese dong). The developer is alleged to have deliberately lowered the drop rates of certain items in MapleStory's loot boxes. Korean Times also reports that this is the largest fine ever imposed for such violations.

According to the ruling, Nexon has been involved in fraudulent activities for over a decade, starting from 2010. The developer even lowered the loot box rates of certain items to almost 0%. These revelations were made based on internal documents obtained from Nexon.

KFTC stated: “Nexon has announced hundreds of changes in the game from 2010 to 2021, yet they deliberately ignored information about adjusting loot box rates. Our assessment is that the company aimed to attract customers by providing them with misleading information and using it for deceptive purposes.”

Loot boxes are one of the most common monetization methods used by South Korean or Chinese developers in most of their games. Instead of pouring a large sum into developing AAA games that risk flopping and losing everything, developers in the East often opt for this sustainable model. Although this always sparks significant debates within the gaming community, it still attracts a stable player base over many years.