Tencent Eyes Nexon: A Mega Deal in the Making?

Chinese Giant in Talks with Kim Family

Huge news is swirling around Tencent, the Chinese tech behemoth, as they're reportedly sniffing around Nexon, the South Korean game developer. According to the rumor mill, Tencent has been cozying up to the family of Nexon's late founder, Kim Jung-ju, to hash out a potential takeover. Talks are happening, but no one's signing on the dotted line just yet. It's all up in the air whether this will actually go down.

Nexon's Ownership and Market Moves

Kim's family, holding the reins through their investment firms NXC Corp and NXMH BV, are weighing their options. They've got a hefty 44.4% of Nexon as of June 30. The founder's wife and daughters? They're controlling about 67.6% of NXC. It's a family affair at the top!

Nexon, born in 1994 and now chilling in Japan, is famous for the MapleStory franchise and other killer online games. They made a splash in Tokyo back in 2011 with one of the biggest tech IPOs ever. Their stocks are up over 10% in 2025 but still hovering nearly 30% below the 2021 high.

Nexon's Blockchain Ambitions

And get this—Nexon's not just playing games. They've set up NEXPACE, a Web3 subsidiary, with a cool $100 million in mid-2024, and they're based in Abu Dhabi. This unit's all about turning Nexon's big names into blockchain bonanzas. MapleStory Universe? That's their gateway into Web3. The first big drop, MapleStory N, hit the scene in May 2025 with NFT goodies, gasless deals, and their own token, NXPC.

Past Attempts and Current Ties

Now, this isn't Tencent's first rodeo with Nexon. They tried to strike a deal back in 2019, but it fell apart over cash. And hey, they're not strangers. Tencent and Nexon already co-developed the blockbuster Dungeon & Fighter, raking in major dough for Tencent's gaming empire.

Tencent's Broader Blockchain Push

While the blockchain gaming world's hitting some rough patches, with daily active users and funding dropping like flies, Tencent's still all in. They're not just focused on games. Last year, they threw $15 million at Chainbase, an omnichain data network, showing their serious commitment to the blockchain space.

Tencent's also teaming up with the Open Network Foundation and Tencent Cloud to beef up blockchain infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific. They're rolling out data tools and node services for the TON blockchain, cementing their place in the Web3 game.

And let's not forget, Tencent's jumped on board with China's official metaverse working group, kicked off by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. They're not just playing games; they're playing for the future!