Nexon acquires rights for Elsword Mobile game in Japan from China’s Kunlun

Nexon said that it has acquired publishing rights for Kunlun’s Elsword Mobile game in Japan.

Tokyo-based Nexon said it will announce the launch date in the Japanese market later. The deal shows how a game created in China has potential in Japan, rather than the other way around. Japan is one of the most competitive mobile game markets in the world.

Unlock premium content and VIP community perks with GB M A X!
Join now to enjoy our free and premium membership perks.
Already a member? Sign in

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.