NCSoft, the South Korean developer behind the recently released Throne and Liberty, has confirmed significant layoffs as part of a company-wide restructuring due to ongoing financial difficulties. The decision, which affects various departments, marks a challenging moment for the studio, despite Throne and Liberty’s initial success.
Founded in 1997, NCSoft has developed a number of MMORPGs over the years, including titles like Lineage, Blade & Soul, Aion, and Guild Wars. NCSoft is well-known in important markets like Korea, Japan, Europe, and North America. Besides its online games, the company has also started making mobile games. But even with its past successes, NCSoft is facing financial problems that are affecting the whole gaming industry.
Throne and Liberty doesn't feature traditional classes, but its weapon-based class system allows players to choose from seven unique playstyles.
According to a report from South Korean news agency Yonhap, NCSoft's co-CEOs, Taek-Jin Kim and Byung-Moo Park, said they feel deeply responsible for the layoffs. They explained that the company’s financial problems came from a management approach that kept too much decision-making and resources at headquarters, which ended up hurting the company's performance. This setup also stifled the creativity and innovation NCSoft was once known...
