The history of NCsoft: origins, milestones and its 2026 business

NCsoft was founded in South Korea in 1997 and became an important online-games company with the launch of Lineage in 1998.

How NCsoft developed

It expanded the Lineage franchise and developed or published additional online role-playing properties including AION, Blade & Soul and Guild Wars, building operations outside Korea as online gaming globalised.

NCsoft in 2026

By 2026, NCsoft remained a developer and publisher of PC, console and mobile games, while working to diversify beyond its traditional dependence on long-running MMORPG franchises.

Why the history matters

Its history parallels South Korea’s rise as a major online-gaming market, where broadband penetration, PC gaming culture and persistent multiplayer worlds created globally influential business models.