NC, Shengqu Games sign deal to bring Aion 2 to China

Shengqu Games CEO Feng Cheng, left, poses with NC co-CEO Kim Taek-jin, during a partnership agreement signing in Shanghai, Wednesday. Courtesy of NC

NC, the video game company formerly known as NCsoft, entered a partnership with China's Shengqu Games to publish its MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) Aion 2 in China, the Korean company said Friday.

The two companies signed the agreement Wednesday at a ceremony in Shanghai attended by NC co-CEO Kim Taek-jin and Shengqu Games CEO Feng Cheng.

NC and Shengqu Games have partnered since 2009, when the original Aion launched in China.

Under the agreement, Shengqu Games will handle the Chinese publishing of Aion 2. The company opened an official Chinese website for the game Wednesday and unveiled its local service name, Eternal Tower 2.

Further details, including a launch schedule, will be announced later, NC said.

"Aion 2 realized the ideals the original game sought to achieve at an even higher level of quality," Kim said, adding that NC would do its best to make the game "a title that creates new value in China's MMORPG market and stays in players' memories for a long time."

Feng described Aion 2 as more than a sequel, calling it "an innovative new title that combines NC's long-accumulated MMO development philosophy and know-how with the latest technology," and said Shengqu Games would work closely with NC from launch through live-service operations.

NC will showcase Aion 2 at ChinaJoy, an international gaming expo that opens Friday in Shanghai, running a large demo zone at Shengqu Games' booth and screening trailer footage on a large-format display.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.