'Eat the ramen, gain 50 HP': Why food companies are going all-in on game IP

Paldo collaborated with NCsoft's MMORPG Lineage Classic to release a new product lineup. [Provided by Paldo]

South Korea's food and retail industries are turning to game intellectual property to win over consumers — going beyond simple character tie-ins to offer in-game items that drive fandom-based purchases.

Paldo has been selling a Wang Ttukkeong cup noodle line developed in collaboration with NCsoft's MMORPG Lineage Classic since Aug. 12. Each product comes bundled with in-game items, and sales of Wang Ttukkeong have risen compared with the previous month since the collaboration launched.

Mom's Touch also teamed up with Smilegate's Lost Ark this month for their fourth collaboration — a partnership that dates back to 2021. The new "Mokoko Summer Vacance Set" includes a game character figure, a special coupon and a collection card pack. The figures are distributed at random, encouraging customers to buy multiple sets.

Lotte Wellfood joined forces with Nexon's MapleStory in May, applying the game's IP to packaging for seven of its flagship snack products, including Custard and Kkokkalkon. Each package also included an in-game item coupon to further stimulate purchases.

Convenience stores have been equally aggressive. GS25 is a prime example: in April it launched 14 products — dosirak, burgers, chocolate and snacks — featuring the game Arknights: Endfield, each bundled with game coupons and photo cards. The chain also ran an in-app stamp-collection event that rewarded participants with game coupons and merchandise. As of April, GS25's cumulative sales of game IP collaboration products over the past two years (2024–2025) had surpassed 20 million units.

The industry's growing interest in game IP comes down to the strength of gaming fandoms. Games continuously update their characters, items and other content, sustaining existing fan bases while consistently drawing in new players. The economics are also attractive: consumers who would not normally buy a given product may do so to obtain a game coupon or piece of merchandise, bringing in new customers. Those coupons and goods can also encourage repeat purchases.

"Game IP collaborations in the food and retail sector have recently evolved to encompass product purchases, merchandise collecting, and app and in-store engagement," an industry official said. "Collaborations leveraging game IP will continue going forward."

Package images from Lotte Wellfood's MapleStory collaboration products. [Provided by Lotte Wellfood]

siuu@heraldcorp.com