An image from NCsoft's "Astraea Oratio" [NCsoft]
An image from NCsoft's "Astraea Oratio" [NCsoft]

NCsoft is accelerating its push into global markets in the second half of this year, backed by two major new titles.

The company is leading with "Astraea Oratio" in Japan and "Aion 2" in North America and Europe as it targets local players in each region.

According to industry sources, NCsoft plans to roll out the two titles in stages as it makes a full-scale bid for the global market. "Astraea Oratio" is targeting an official launch next year, while "Aion 2" begins early access Wednesday before its official global release Monday.

NCsoft earlier showcased "Astraea Oratio" at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held Sept. 17-21 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, expanding its direct contact with local players.

At this year's Tokyo Game Show, NCsoft set up a dedicated booth for "Astraea Oratio" and presented the game directly to attendees.

"Astraea Oratio" is a fantasy magic RPG developed by Dynamis One and globally published by NCsoft. Set in a fictional Tokyo of the 1980s, the game depicts a world where magic coexists with everyday life. The story centers on an ordinary civil servant known as "Chief" who works at a government agency that oversees wizards, blending the unusual themes of magic and bureaucracy.

The Tokyo Game Show marked the game's first playable demo. Visitors at the booth could choose between a "scenario build" and a "combat build" to try the game themselves. A special screening program covering the game's prologue and on-site events were also arranged, giving players multiple ways to experience the game's world and characters.

The local response was enthusiastic. A total of 30,000 visitors came to the NCsoft booth during the show, and limited-edition merchandise distributed through gameplay demonstrations and on-site events sold out entirely, confirming strong interest from local players.

Game Director Lim Jong-gyu said, "Starting with the first demo at Tokyo Game Show, please watch as this game grows like a serialized story, with new narratives and characters."

NCsoft plans to gather feedback from local players through Tokyo Game Show and closed beta testing, gradually verifying the game's competitiveness in the Japanese market ahead of its 2027 launch.

An image from NCsoft's "Aion 2" [NCsoft]
An image from NCsoft's "Aion 2" [NCsoft]

Alongside this, NCsoft is also stepping up its global push through "Aion 2," targeting markets including North America and Europe.

"Aion 2" conducted a global launch-scale test Sept. 17-18 to check server and infrastructure stability under real service conditions. The game moves into global early access Wednesday, followed by its official global release Monday through Steam and PURPLE.

The global version will be available on PC only, with regional servers covering North America, South America, Europe and Japan. It will support 10 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and both simplified and traditional Chinese.

The string of new titles running through the second half of this year and into next year is also sharpening NCsoft's intellectual property strategy.

NCsoft is pursuing a three-pronged growth strategy this year: expanding sales from existing IP, launching new IP globally, and growing its mobile casual business. The company plans to diversify beyond MMORPGs into subculture and casual genres, tailoring titles and service approaches to the characteristics of each regional market.

Meanwhile, NCsoft posted consolidated sales of 770.5 billion won ($567 million) and operating profit of 173.9 billion won in the second quarter, marking an improvement in earnings. With expectations for the company's new titles running high, the market views the fourth quarter of this year as a key inflection point.

Jung Ho-yun, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities, said, "There are important events that could serve as an inflection point in the second half, so I recommend gradually paying attention."


sjpark@heraldcorp.com