- Published 2026.11.09 17:53
Funding to be provided in tranches to North American subsidiary ArenaNet through May 2028
New title built on Unreal Engine 5, targeting beta test next year
NCsoft is injecting about 120 billion won (about $89 million) into its North American development subsidiary ArenaNet to complete the new massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Guild Wars 3. The move is aimed at supplying liquidity to the financially strained subsidiary and accelerating development of the next installment in the Guild Wars series, which has a large fan base in North America and Europe.
According to NCsoft on Nov. 9, the company has decided to provide ArenaNet with a loan of up to 120.7 billion won (about $85 million) for the development and launch of Guild Wars 3. The funds will be disbursed in multiple tranches based on the game's production progress.
The funding is intended to resolve ArenaNet's deteriorating financial condition. ArenaNet has suffered from persistent cash shortages in recent years due to declining revenue and rising development costs. Annual revenue fell to 87.7 billion won (about $65 million) in 2025 from 133.4 billion won (about $98 million) in 2023, and the company posted a net loss of 56.4 billion won (about $42 million) in 2025. Total liabilities (137.3 billion won (about $101 million)) are more than double total assets (60 billion won (about $44 million)), leaving the company in a state of complete capital impairment.
The loan matures on May 31, 2028. During an earnings conference call in August 2026, NCsoft announced plans to conduct alpha and beta tests for Guild Wars 3 in 2027, and said the loan maturity date provides a gauge for the game's launch timing.
Unlike previous titles that used ArenaNet's proprietary engine, Guild Wars 3 is being developed on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5. In addition to PC, the game will support console platforms for the first time in the series, including PlayStation 5 (PS5), expanding its global reach. While Guild Wars 2 focused on North America and Europe, the new title will also be serviced in Asian markets through NCsoft's own platform PURPLE, with Korean subtitles and dubbing.
The Guild Wars series is a key intellectual property (IP) for NCsoft with a strong presence in Western markets. The franchise has accumulated 30 million users to date. Guild Wars 3 drew strong interest immediately after its unveiling at Summer Game Fest (SGF) 2026 in June, ranking second on Steam's wishlist chart.
Park Byung-moo, co-CEO of NCsoft, said during the August conference call, "Guild Wars 3 is considered one of the three major MMORPGs in Western markets, alongside World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14," adding, "We plan to launch it in Asian markets through NCsoft's PURPLE platform."
(Dollar figures are approximate, converted automatically at 1,000 won = $0.738, the rate on Nov. 9, 2026.)
※ This article is an AI translation of the Korean original published by Korea Credit News; it was checked by automated quality guards and published by the English edition desk.
