The football manga 'Blue Lock'—famous for memes like 'I, Kang-rim' and 'To me, football is murder'—was, until 2024, largely a regional hit confined to Japan and parts of Asia. Yet, its publisher, Kodansha, managed to boost its cumulative global circulation from 40 million to 50 million copies in just one year, without spending a single penny on traditional marketing. It has effectively transformed into a genuine 'hit IP' with a global footprint.

The secret behind this IP’s sudden leap from regional niche to global powerhouse? It’s all down to Roblox. We caught the details at NDC 26, where Seong Ju-hyeon, Head of Developer Relations at Roblox Korea, and Community Manager Ko Myeong-jae broke down the ecosystem, the journey of everyday users turning into developers, and the commercial backbone of it all: IP licensing.

Roblox has cemented its status as the king of UGC (User Generated Content). Its DAU (Daily Active Users) hit 144 million, a 69% year-on-year increase, with Korea seeing a 47% growth rate. The number of domestic creators building games on the platform has surged by 60%, and last year, Roblox paid out a staggering $1.5 billion (approximately 2.28 trillion KRW) to its creators.

The beauty of Roblox as a dev platform is that even absolute beginners without a lick of coding knowledge can use the free tools to craft games and push them to a global audience. The barrier to entry is low, and the room for trial and error is immense, allowing creators to build up their know-how. This has led to success stories like 'Sol's RNG,' developed by a pair of middle and high school brothers, which went on to rake in tens of billions of won.

The platform’s strength—low-cost development and distribution—applies perfectly to its IP licensing programme. Seong Ju-hyeon explained, "Once you register an IP on our platform, countless UGC creators worldwide can build games without worrying about copyright squabbles. It’s a virtuous cycle where the IP is protected while the owner gets a share of the revenue generated by the content."

Worried about losing control? Fear not. Seong noted, "We provide absolute control to the IP owner. This isn’t a free-for-all where creators just churn out whatever they want. When a creator requests to use an IP, the owner reviews it and decides whether to approve. Everything, from revenue-sharing models to payment methods, can be tweaked to fit your business strategy perfectly."

And the potential for growth? It’s built right in. "Registering on the IP license platform requires zero additional cost or resources, making the business risk practically non-existent," Seong added. "Once you’re in the catalog, creators can discover your IP and start dreaming up projects. We can even match you with existing, successful games that fit your IP’s vibe, or you can reach out to creators with proposals yourself."

As for the registration process, Seong claims it's as simple as signing up for a website. "Verify your ownership, prepare some basic reference assets, and follow the guide on our site to set your revenue-sharing strategy. That’s it," he said. The platform currently features heavy hitters like Netflix's 'Squid Game' and Sega's 'Yakuza' series.

The crown jewel of these success stories is Kodansha’s 'Blue Lock'. Seong noted, "'Blue Lock' was a football manga with a solid but regional fandom. A Roblox developer created a fan game that exploded, hitting 1 million concurrent players within just three months. Seeing this, Kodansha jumped on board as an official licensing partner to fuel its global expansion."

The results were, frankly, impressive. "The 'Blue Lock' experience on Roblox has seen over 4.7 billion visits, with a community of over 31 million members," Seong highlighted. "But the real kicker is that this success didn't stay trapped on the platform. The manga’s sales, which had been stagnating in Asia, surged from 40 million copies in July 2024 to over 50 million within a year of the game's launch."

Seong Ju-hyeon emphasized that Kodansha’s marketing spend during this global expansion was virtually zero. "The innovation of the Roblox IP licensing programme is that it allows local brands to transcend their borders and go global without the usual financial burden," he remarked.

For creators, leveraging a popular IP is a cheat code for success. "Using an IP with a massive, pre-existing fandom gives you a head start at the starting line," Seong said. "Plus, having an 'official' title behind your game adds a layer of credibility and trust that’s hard to beat."

The barrier for developers is low, too. Ko Myeong-jae, Community Manager at Roblox Korea, shared, "Our survey of 214 Korean creators showed that 41% learned via online self-study, and 39% through communities. Why do they stay? Because they can push their work to a global audience instantly, it’s a great platform for business, and it allows for rapid iteration. That cycle—from low access to wide reach—is what keeps creators hooked."

Finally, for those considering an IP collaboration, Seong had this advice: "Don't just chase fame. Think about how well your game’s concept aligns with the IP’s world. If you can present a solid plan for protecting the IP's identity and prove you know your way around the Roblox ecosystem, you'll have a much easier time convincing the IP owner."