Behind Shengqu and NC’s “Yiqi” launch event lies a 17-year commitment to a comprehensive ecosystem.

In 2026, how many players will still be drawn to a new MMORPG based on an older IP?

On July 30, on the fifth floor of the Shanghai Tower, I found the answer. At the event venue, veteran players—many of whom had been playing for as long as a decade—were everywhere, enthusiastically chatting with one another.

Shengqu Games, a subsidiary of Century Huatong (002602.SZ), and South Korean gaming and internet giant NC held the “Yi Qi” new product launch event in Shanghai, China. At the event, the two companies officially announced that they would jointly promote the future launch and operation of the large-scale next-generation fantasy MMORPG *AION 2* (Chinese title: *Tower of Eternity 2*) in mainland China.

For players, this is a reassuring and exciting development. But beyond the product launch, this partnership between Shengqu Games and NCSOFT has taken their 17-year collaboration to a deeper level.

The change lies in the overall operational landscape of the AION IP in China—ongoing operation of the PC game, joint development of the mobile game, and exclusive distribution rights for the sequel.all three business lines are now consolidated under Shengqu. This means that NC is systematically entrusting the entire AION ecosystem in China to a single, long-term partner, and the collaboration between the two companies has thus entered a new phase.

Full Integration of the AION Ecosystem

In cross-border game IP collaborations, developers typically assign products for different platforms or generations to different publishers, thereby spreading their dependencies. NC’s approach to the AION IP, however, takes the opposite tack.

The two companies began their partnership in 2009. After Shengqu introduced the PC version of *Aion* to China, the game quickly established itself thanks to its unique gameplay features, such as aerial combat and faction-based battles.

Over the next seventeen years, the two parties did not simply continue to renew their contract repeatedly, but instead actively collaborated to explore various possibilities for the IP. For example, in November 2025, NC and Shengqu announced the joint development of the mobile game *Aion: Classic*, marking Shengqu’s first foray into product development beyond operations and maintenance;Just one year later, the exclusive operating rights for the Chinese server of *Aion 2* were once again granted to Shengqu.

At this point, a three-pronged strategy has been established: continuous iteration of the PC game, joint development of the mobile game, and exclusive operation of the sequel. In just two years, NC has entrusted both the new and existing product lines of the AION IP to a single Chinese company; this collaboration has gone beyond the framework of a single-product license to form a multi-dimensional delivery model comprising one IP, two generations of products, and three product lines.

For NC, this is also the best possible outcome. Having a team that fully understands the essence of AION working together to drive the project forward will not only strengthen the bonds and memories of longtime players and help retain them but also naturally open up new possibilities and forms for the IP.

Through repeated collaborations, a mutually beneficial relationship has developed between developers and players.

At the press conference, NC founder and CEO Jin Zechen stated that *Aion*’s success as a beloved MMORPG would not have been possible without the years of attention and support from Chinese players, nor without the ongoing partnership with Shengqu Games.NC fully understands the weight carried by the name *Aion* and the expectations every player has for this IP.

(Jin Zechen, Founder and CEO of NC)

The players’ support has also translated into tangible operational success: To date, *Aion*’s retro servers and the “Retro-in-Retro” version have continued to enjoy popularity, and with a base of 100 million registered users, Shengqu has the confidence to fully take on the *Aion* ecosystem.

Trust is built on seventeen years of experience

What truly makes Shengqu irreplaceable is the intangible assets built up over 17 years of operation.

The day-to-day operations of a large-scale MMORPG are typically a demanding task: making minute adjustments to the economic system, adapting release schedules to local markets, promptly managing community sentiment, and continuously combating cheats and gold farms—each of these tasks relies on long-term experience and cannot be mastered quickly with short-term funding or manpower.

Shengqu has operated *Aion* continuously for seventeen years, accumulating deep insights into user behavior patterns, spending preferences, and social engagement hotspots—insights that have long since become second nature to the company. This body of knowledge is difficult for outsiders to piece together in a short period of time.

This know-how—which can only be acquired through years of accumulated experience—is the very essence of Shengqu’s capabilities, giving the company the confidence to earn the trust of both developers and players and live up to their decades-long expectations.

For example, core gameplay elements in large-scale MMOs—such as faction warfare, large-scale dungeons, and long-term character progression—rely heavily on the social networks and guild ecosystems that players have built up over many years. Once the licensing rights change, these social ties are highly susceptible to breaking, guilds may disband, and the risk of losing core users is far greater than in ordinary games.

Having Shengqu continue to operate the sequel would minimize this risk to the greatest extent possible—the guild system and social connections that veteran players have established in the PC version can be seamlessly transferred to the new game under the same operator, thereby avoiding a fragmented account system and a disconnect in player engagement.

At the press conference, Peng Cheng placed player feedback at the very center of his remarks: “Starting today, every concern you raise, every reasonable suggestion, every word of encouragement, and every piece of criticism or feedback will serve as the core benchmark for our planning, resource allocation, and operational progress throughout the entire launch and operation of *Aion 2*.”

(Peng Cheng, CEO of Shengqu Games)

Behind this lies a clear understanding of what determines a project’s success or failure: what ultimately shapes long-term operational performance is respect for and commitment to the time core players invest in the game—not short-term revenue targets.

These data assets, community ecosystems, and user insights—rooted in long-term operations—form Shengqu’s competitive moat and are the fundamental rationale behind NC’s decision to entrust the company with its entire portfolio.

As for NC, Shengqu is one of the few major domestic publishers whose distribution capabilities have been repeatedly proven. Shengqu’s portfolio of titles—including a string of top-tier Korean MMOs such as *Legend of Mir*, *Dragon Nest*, and *Aion*—serves as a long-standing testament to its distribution capabilities.

Consistent licensing, in and of itself, serves as a vote of confidence from the industry. Over the past two years, Shengqu has continually demonstrated this capability through its “dual-platform” strategy: *Legend: New 100 Servers—Mengzhong Divine Weapons* has reactivated the user base for the *Legend* IP, *Dragon Nest World* has captured a new generation of players on mobile, and several new titles have achieved tangible market success.

These products demonstrate that Shengqu is capable of both retaining its core player base and attracting new users among younger demographics. Behind these efforts lies a replicable methodology that Shengqu has developed for precisely targeting users, maintaining long-term community engagement, and delivering consistent content updates over the long term.

"Aion 2," which was entrusted to Shengqu, has already posted impressive results in South Korea. Since its launch in November 2025, the game has averaged 1.5 million daily active users during its open beta and surpassed 100 billion won in cumulative revenue within 46 days of launch—figures that demonstrate the game has quickly gained market recognition.

In delivering a strategic-level product like this—one that is on an upward trajectory and has already been preliminarily validated by the market—NC values the track record Shengqu has recently established in the practical field of MMO publishing.

The Perfect Match Between a Flagship Sequel and a High-Profile PC Gaming Team

Peng Cheng offered a clear description of *Aion 2*: It is a groundbreaking reimagining of a classic IP, developed by NC based on decades of experience in MMO development and utilizing next-generation engine technology.

This is evident from the resources invested. In June of this year, NC held the “AION2 SUMMER FESTA” in Seoul, inviting 150 players to attend. The event featured a live performance of classic tracks by composer Liang Bangyan, and NC simultaneously announced a cross-industry collaboration with the girl group fromis_9 and unveiled its roadmap for future development.

The high level of upfront investment in the community—which rejected the short-term, volume-driven operational approach from the very beginning—not only demonstrates NC’s dedication but also embodies the company’s long-term vision: to build a sustainable PC gaming ecosystem.

The product's technical foundation also supports this positioning.

Developed using Unreal Engine 5, the game features a seamless map 36 times larger than that of its predecessor, with dynamic performance, scene rendering, and model precision setting the standard for next-generation flagship titles. The classic “Abyss” battlefield has also been upgraded to a three-dimensional combat environment, incorporating high-altitude aerial combat during free flight and underwater exploration into the map design.

In addition, the character design and creation offer a great deal of depth—with eight classes available at launch, the character customization system supports over 200 adjustments to facial and body features, and the combat system blends the skill-based strategy of traditional MMOs with the real-time feedback of action games.

These highly refined design elements ensure that the game's core enjoyment consistently stems from the rich world experience, high immersion, and the complex feedback provided by precise controls.

This also means that operating a product like this involves unavoidable challenges, such as managing large server clusters, fine-tuning the in-game economic ecosystem, and planning updates on an annual basis—all of which are significant hurdles. Shengqu’s mature operational framework, built through years of experience in maintaining large-scale PC games, fully addresses these requirements.Therefore, NC’s decision to entrust *Aion 2* to Shengqu is, in essence, a precise alignment of product requirements and operational capabilities.

As the market recovers, we are redefining the industry standards for cross-border collaboration

It is worth noting that as of 2026, the MMORPG sector—which has been in operation for many years—has reached a new point of divergence.

It’s important to note that China is already one of the world’s largest consumer markets for MMORPGs, and from a macro perspective, the MMORPG sector is now showing signs of a rebound.The “2025 China Game Industry Report,” jointly released by the Game Working Committee of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association and Gamma Data, shows that in 2025, the actual sales revenue of China’s client-based game market reached 78.16 billion yuan, representing a year-over-year increase of 14.97%;In 2026, first-quarter revenue from client-based games reached 24.976 billion yuan, with the year-over-year growth rate surging to 39.38 percent.

(Image source: China Industry Report)

The sharp acceleration in growth indicates that the overall client-based gaming market is shifting from a phase of “stabilizing after a decline” to a clear rebound trend, and within this sector, MMORPGs—as the long-standing mainstay genre—are contributing a significant share.

In addition, MMORPGs attract the most active group of players. According to a user survey by Gamma Data, young users aged 18 to 34 account for 48.62% of MMO players, and the influx of new users and their support shows no signs of slowing down.

On the supply side, the strategic direction of leading publishers is equally clear: many domestic companies are simultaneously expanding their MMO portfolios, either by launching new titles or through frequent updates.These strategies demonstrate a new consensus within the industry: MMORPGs are not an outdated business model that needs to be scaled back, but rather a key genre capable of retaining the core user base and generating stable revenue.

However, whether they have what it takes to tackle the challenges of an MMORPG is likely a question every developer must ask themselves. The barriers to producing high-quality, large-scale MMOs have risen so high that most teams find it difficult to keep up,and this gap between supply and demand has created a clear opening for products like *Aion 2*, which boast a mature IP, a robust technical foundation, and proven market appeal.

These shifting trends have also altered the criteria international companies use when selecting partners in China—in the past, short-term channel acquisition capabilities and user reach efficiency often dictated partnership decisions; today, long-term operational capabilities, experience in maintaining user ecosystems, and the potential for sustained growth in IP value are gradually becoming more important factors.

From NC and Shengqu’s partnership in 2009—which began with the licensing of a single title—to their years of collaboration on development and operations, and finally to the introduction of a new title in 2026, their seventeen-year partnership is, in itself, a complete embodiment of this new standard.Behind every successful delivery lies the mutual understanding and trust that Shengqu and NC have built through every crisis response, every round of version coordination, and every nuanced aspect of community management.

The day after the press conference, *Aion 2* made its debut in the central area of Century Huatong’s booth at ChinaJoy, offering domestic players their first opportunity to try the game in person. The nearly seamless transition from signing the contract to directly engaging with users demonstrates that extensive preparatory work had already been completed behind the scenes to ensure a full-scale launch.

Toward the end of his speech, Peng Cheng quoted Li Bai’s verse: “When the great peng soars with the wind, it rises straight up to 90,000 li.” Perhaps, for Shengqu, *Aion 2* is not just another licensing deal, but an opportunity to reaffirm its core capabilities in operating high-quality, large-scale MMORPGs.From the introduction of the first *Aion* seventeen years ago to the current consolidation of the IP ecosystem, the collaboration between NC and Shengqu provides a real-world example: when high-quality MMOs return to a growth trajectory, cross-border cooperation built on long-term experience and mutual trust remains the most reliable path to success.