NCSoft to acquire 70% stake in Berlin-based JustPlay for about $205M

NCSoft has agreed to acquire a 70% stake in JustPlay in a transaction valued at roughly $205 million, marking another step in the company’s push to expand its presence in the mobile casual gaming sector.

The deal, approved by NCSoft’s board, values the majority stake at about 301.6 billion South Korean won. The transaction is expected to close by the end of April 2026, pending final conditions.

JustPlay operates a mobile platform centered on reward-based gameplay, where users can earn prizes such as vouchers, cash payouts, or charitable donations by playing mobile titles. The platform hosts dozens of casual games and has built a user base largely concentrated in North America.

According to company data, JustPlay generated approximately $172.8 million in revenue last year, alongside operating profit of about $19.1 million. Roughly 70% of the company’s revenue came from North American markets.

For NCSoft, the acquisition signals a continued shift toward mobile casual gaming as the company diversifies beyond its traditional focus on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).

The JustPlay deal follows NCSoft’s investment in late 2025 in Indygo Group, where the South Korean company acquired a 67% stake for about $103.9 million. Indygo Group owns Lihuhu, further strengthening NCSoft’s footprint in the casual mobile segment.

The company also established a dedicated Mobile Casual Center in 2025 to support its expansion into this market, appointing industry executive Anel Čeman to lead the initiative.

NCSoft executives have previously indicated that the company is exploring additional partnerships and acquisitions with international studios as it builds a global casual gaming portfolio.

While expanding its casual mobile operations, NCSoft continues development work on several large-scale titles. Among them is Steel Frontiers, an upcoming MMORPG project based on the Horizon intellectual property created by Sony Interactive Entertainment and Guerrilla Games.

The JustPlay acquisition adds a European developer to NCSoft’s growing network of studios and platforms as the company broadens its gaming portfolio across regions and genres.