Chinese language tech large Tencent is exploring a possible acquisition of Nexon, the South Korean recreation developer behind the hit title Dungeon & Fighter, Bloomberg reports. Nexon is closely invested in Internet 3 gaming, together with the formidable MapleStory franchise.
The agency has reportedly approached the household of Nexon’s late founder Kim Jung-ju, who controls a 44.4% stake in Nexon by way of holding firm NXC Corp, to debate a possible acquisition.
Discussions are nonetheless preliminary, and there’s no assure they’ll end in a deal, the report states, citing sources near the matter.
If profitable, Tencent can be buying an organization with a $16.6 billion market capitalization, a transfer that might reignite its ambitions in international gaming M&A after a slowdown sparked by Chinese language regulatory crackdowns in 2020.
The deal might assist Tencent safe long-term management over common mental property and provides it a firmer foothold in South Korea’s profitable gaming market.
However any deal can be sophisticated.
The Kim household inherited management after the founder’s demise in 2022 and has since handed shares to the Korean authorities to cowl inheritance taxes. The federal government has been unable to offload its stake.
Tencent beforehand tried to purchase Nexon in 2019, however talks collapsed over pricing. This new try follows Tencent’s $1.3 billion funding in a brand new Ubisoft unit and a ten% stake in Ok-pop label SM Leisure.
The Chinese language tech large can also be increasing within the blockchain area, asserting earlier this yr that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a set of blockchain API companies with Ankr.
Learn extra: S. Korean Gaming Giant Nexon to Use Polygon for Popular MapleStory Universe