HÀ NỘI — South Korean gaming companies announced on April 1 that NCSoft has established a joint venture named 'NCV Games' with VNGGames, a subsidiary of Việt Nam's tech firm VNG. Through this joint venture, NCSoft plans to launch its blockbuster game 'Lineage2M' across six Southeast Asian countries – Việt Nam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines – on May 20.

This marks the first time NCSoft has created a joint venture to provide game services directly in the region.

VNGGames is currently one of Việt Nam’s leading game publishers, with an expanding footprint across Southeast Asia and China. It has also collaborated with several Korean developers including Line Games and Devsisters.

Meanwhile, Nexon is bolstering its workforce in Việt Nam through its local subsidiary Nexon Networks. The company established Nexon Dev Vina (NDVN) in 2022 and recently increased its headcount to 90 employees. It is also strengthening partnerships with domestic developers as well as with Nexon Korea.

Since late 2024, the Korea Game Culture Foundation and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Việt Nam have jointly hosted Korea Game Week, sponsored by major industry players such as NCSoft, Nexon Korea, NHN and Pearl Abyss. The initiative aims to promote cultural exchange and foster collaboration between the two countries' gaming industries.

According to Newzoo’s 2022 report, Việt Nam is home to around 54.6 million gamers, accounting for more than half of the country’s population, underscoring the massive potential of the domestic market. Notably, low labour costs have become a key factor attracting South Korean investment.

A newly-recruited game developer in Việt Nam typically earns between seven million and 12 million won per year (approximately US$4,750–8,150), compared to an average annual salary of 36 million won ($24,460) in South Korea, which can rise to as high as 50 million won ($33,972) at major firms. — VNS