Nexon to publish Blizzard’s Overwatch in Korea

Nexon Korea CEO Kang Dae-hyun, left, shakes hands with Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries after signing a publishing contract for Blizzard's Overwatch in Korea, in this undated handout photo released Monday. Courtesy of Nexon

Nexon, a Korean game studio, will publish Blizzard’s globally popular first-person shooter Overwatch in Korea within this year, with plans to introduce more localized content for gamers here.

Nexon said Monday it has signed a publishing contract with Blizzard for the PC version of Overwatch in Korea.

Under the contract, Nexon will handle localized live services and business operations tailored to the Korean market, while Blizzard will provide the intellectual property (IP) of Overwatch and continue to oversee game development.

The PC version of Overwatch is currently being serviced through Blizzard’s own platform Battle.net as well as the world’s largest gaming platform, Steam. Nexon plans to service the game on platforms other than Steam, but declined to reveal other details of the contract.

Nexon said the two companies plan to work closely to introduce localized content tailored to the Korean market and further strengthen Overwatch services here by expanding the game in the "PC bang" ecosystem. A PC bang is an internet cafe where users pay by the hour to play games — a key foundation for Korea’s emergence as a global esports powerhouse.

A promotion image of Overwatch revealed in Overwatch Spotlight 2026 / Courtesy of Blizzard

Released in 2016, Overwatch became one of Blizzard’s most popular franchises, introducing global users to the hero shooter subgenre, in which players control characters with unique abilities in a team-based shooting game.

Marking its 10th anniversary of service, Blizzard is seeking to revive the title through a major update. At the Overwatch Spotlight showcase in February, Blizzard announced “the beginning of a new era for the franchise,” unveiling a year-long narrative road map and five new heroes, with plans to introduce five more within the year.

The partnership with Nexon appears to reflect Blizzard’s intention to reignite Overwatch’s popularity in Korea, which served as a key starting point for the game’s global success, by leveraging Nexon’s proven capability in publishing games in the local market.

Industry officials said the contract is expected to focus not only on localized content and other technical aspects of publishing, but also on operation and marketing areas where Nexon has strong capabilities, such as hosting tournaments, organizing promotional events and running collaboration campaigns.

“We are very pleased to partner with Blizzard Entertainment and the globally beloved Overwatch IP,” Nexon Korea Co-CEOs Kang Dae-hyun and Kim Jung-wook said in a statement.

“By combining Blizzard’s outstanding development capabilities with Nexon’s live service expertise, we will deliver optimized Overwatch content and an enhanced service experience for users in Korea.”

Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries said Korean players have long been an important part of the company’s global community, and their passion has helped shape Overwatch in meaningful ways.

She added that Nexon is widely recognized for its deep understanding of the Korean market and strong live service capabilities, and Blizzard will continue delivering engaging and dynamic experiences to players.