Nexon celebrates 20th anniversary of MapleStory

South Korean gaming giant Nexon Co. marks the 20th anniversary of its popular online game, MapleStory, with a host of exciting ventures based on the game's intellectual property (IP).

The summer showcase event held on June 10 at Seoul Olympic Park's handball gymnasium, Nexon's development team, led by MapleStory's general director Kang Won-gi and planning director Kim Chang-seop, unveiled their plans to a captivated audience.

Over the course of the weekend, more than 5,200 attendees flocked to the showcase event, while an impressive 377,000 viewers tuned in to watch the proceedings online.

Nexon will collaborate with RedIce Studio to release a webtoon and novel titled MapleStory: The Last Adventurer, which will transport fans into the vibrant world and captivating characters of the game.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, Nexon will also host a 20th-anniversary concert featuring the beloved soundtrack of MapleStory. The concert will be held in multiple sessions, culminating in a grand finale at the Grand Peace Palace at Kyung Hee University Seoul campus. 

To further engage fans, Nexon has curated a range of exclusive merchandise that will be available for purchase. In partnership with Hyundai Department Store, the company will open The Hyundai Pop-up Store in the latter half of the year, along with an exclusive online merchandise shopping mall.

In collaboration with the Korea Minting and Security Corporation (KOMSCO), Nexon will release a commemorative medal featuring the iconic symbols of MapleStory—the maple leaf and the orange mushroom.

The excitement continues to build as Nexon sets its sights on an offline amusement park centered around the MapleStory IP. Although details remain unclear, fans are eager to discover whether a dedicated theme park will be established or if a MapleStory-themed space will be incorporated into an existing amusement park.

Players can expect this major update along with the introduction of the new character-strengthening system, Hexa.

Nexon will expand the game world by adding new locations and formidable boss monsters, promising an enhanced gaming experience for all MapleStory enthusiasts.

Write to Ju-Hyun Lee at deep@hankyung.com