Epic Games Partners with Nexon Korea on 10-Year Unreal Engine Agreement: What Are the Implications?

Epic Games and Nexon Korea have entered a 10-year technology partnership that positions Unreal Engine as Nexon’s unified development engine.

The agreement spans major titles and long-term roadmaps, pairing full Unreal Engine access with Epic Pro Support to cover both AAA and smaller-scale projects.

Core terms of the partnership

Company-wide engine adoption

Under the agreement, all Nexon-developed projects can use Unreal Engine, signaling a platform-level standardization rather than project-by-project licensing. This approach is designed to align tools, workflows, and quality benchmarks across studios.

Long-term technical support

Epic will provide Epic Pro Support across the full development lifecycle. The support model targets stability, performance optimization, and scalability, addressing the needs of large, multi-platform AAA productions while remaining flexible for smaller genre titles.

Impact on development and production

Performance and scalability

Epic emphasizes Unreal Engine’s high-performance rendering and scalable pipeline as foundations for consistent cross-platform development. Nexon expects improved production efficiency, faster iteration, and higher completion rates for new IP and global-facing projects.

Executive perspectives

Park Yong-hyun, Nexon executive vice president overseeing development, said the partnership will enable Unreal Engine to function as Nexon’s integrated engine to strengthen technical stability and expand multi-platform capabilities for global markets.

Park Sung-chul, head of Epic Games Korea, described the agreement as a meaningful long-term partnership with a leading domestic publisher and pledged active support aligned with Nexon’s high project standards.

Contract structure and publishing strategy

Engine standardization and cost structure

While financial terms were not disclosed, a 10-year horizon suggests predictable licensing conditions and long-term cost control compared with shorter or fragmented engine agreements. For Nexon, consolidating on Unreal Engine can reduce duplicated tooling investment and simplify collaboration across internal and external studios.

Influence on Korea-first and global launches

By standardizing its engine stack, Nexon may streamline simultaneous or near-simultaneous global releases. Unified pipelines can shorten localization, certification, and optimization cycles for PC, console, and potentially mobile platforms, supporting a shift away from region-staggered launches.

Flexibility versus lock-in

A long-term engine commitment can increase operational efficiency but also creates partial lock-in. Nexon’s strategy likely balances this risk against the benefits of continuous engine updates, direct Epic support, and alignment with Unreal’s global ecosystem, including third-party plugins and talent availability.

Broader market implications

For the Korean game industry

Nexon’s move may reinforce Unreal Engine as a default choice for large-scale Korean studios, influencing hiring, outsourcing, and education pipelines. Smaller developers could follow suit to align with publisher expectations and shared tooling standards.

For Epic and global publishing

Securing a decade-long partnership with a top-tier Asian publisher strengthens Epic’s position in the global engine market. The agreement may also shape future co-marketing, technical showcases, and Unreal-based flagship titles aimed at international audiences.

Editor’s Comments

This partnership is less about a single engine license and more about long-term publishing strategy.

For Nexon, Unreal Engine becomes infrastructure that supports faster global releases and consistent technical quality. The key variable will be how engine standardization translates into concrete outcomes such as synchronized launches, new IP success, and reduced production risk.

For Epic, the deal reinforces Unreal Engine’s role as a long-term backbone for major publishers, particularly in Asia. Future announcements linking this agreement to specific titles or global release plans will determine its broader industry impact.

FAQs 

1. Will Epic Pro Support cover engine upgrades and custom pipeline integration?

Epic Pro Support is stated to cover the full development lifecycle, including performance optimization and pipeline work. Expect prioritized technical assistance for engine upgrades, integration issues, and production-critical bugs.

2. Will Nexon titles become Epic Games Store exclusive?

The contract cites engine adoption and technical support but does not specify distribution exclusivity. Store placement and monetization decisions remain commercial choices for Nexon and may be negotiated separately.

3. How will this affect global launch schedules for Nexon games?

Unified engine and shared pipelines can shorten localization, certification, and optimization cycles. This increases potential for simultaneous or near-simultaneous global releases, reducing Korea-first staggered launches.

4. What does this mean for Korean developers and outsourcing partners?

Demand for Unreal skills will likely rise. Outsourcing firms and middleware vendors may shift focus to Unreal compatibility to capture publisher contracts and align with Nexon’s toolchain standards.