Nexon is launching a long-term investment program of up to ₩250 billion (approximately $179.2 million) to identify promising game developers and support their global expansion. The initiative combines South Korea’s government fund-of-funds (a fund investing in other funds) with game-focused venture capital in a public-private partnership designed to provide early-stage liquidity amid a prolonged contraction in gaming investment. Nexon has created Nexon Partners, a dedicated investment subsidiary, which is working with Kona Venture Partners to establish the ₩120 billion (approximately $86.0 million) Kona Global IP Investment Fund. The fund includes ₩60 billion (approximately $43.0 million) from the IP account of South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, giving the structure roughly twice the leverage of Nexon’s direct capital commitment. Kona Venture Partners, led by CEO Choi Hwa-jin, is South Korea’s only independent game-focused VC and has more than 25 years of venture capital experience. It has managed strategic investor partnership funds with Krafton, Kakao Games, Netmarble and Tencent. Kona will lead seed-to-Series A sourcing and incubation, while Nexon Partners will co-invest in parts of Series A and invest directly at later stages. Nexon is targeting the funding gap known as the death valley, particularly around the CBT (closed beta test) stage, when studios prepare for global live-service operations and marketing. Its priorities are new IP with global potential, next-generation live-service games built around user-acquisition marketing, and AI-based developers. The company says the program will serve as a strategic radar for market trends and promising IP, with its first investment reviews beginning in the second half of this year. Investee developers will remain independent and will not be required to sign publishing contracts, while Nexon will offer development infrastructure, live-service expertise and global marketing experience. The approach extends the co-prosperity philosophy of the Nexon & Partners Center, launched in 2012, into capital investment. Nexon posted record first-half 2026 results, including revenue of ¥273.3 billion (approximately $1.7 billion) and operating profit of ¥89.4 billion (approximately $563.6 million), and is using its core business performance to secure future growth engines.