Back in early last year, "We will reclaim the NC of the past," that was the ambitious rallying cry under which the leadership of NCSoft (hereinafter NC) CEO Park Byung-moo set sail. Yet, the ship is currently navigating through a brutal storm. While the leadership attempted to streamline the company through layoffs and spinning off subsidiaries—choosing to cull a swathe of upcoming titles—the promised hits simply never materialized. 'Hoyeon' faced sharp criticism for stripping away every trace of its source material, 'Battle Crush' saw a painfully short lifespan, and 'Journey of Monarch' failed to move the needle, even among the die-hard Lineage fanbase.

The global stage offered little respite. While NC launched 'Throne and Liberty' globally and 'Blade & Soul 2' in China, the reception was, to put it mildly, muted. Even 'LLL', the shooter title that once held a glimmer of hope, exposed glaring limitations at Gamescom 2025, leaving many disappointed. Ultimately, the pillars propping up NC remain the same old trio: 'Lineage', 'Blade & Soul', and 'Aion'. However, Lineage revenue continues its steady decline, and while 'Blade & Soul' caught a brief breath of fresh air via 'Neo', the results remain frankly dire.

All eyes, both internal and external, are now fixed on the November launch of Aion 2 to see if it can serve as a lifeline. However, the path ahead is far from easy. The frustrated voices of gamers who feel let down by NC grow louder, while competitors continue to pile on the pressure. Internally, the restructuring has left the company with fewer staff and fewer projects, and there are no clear secondary cards waiting in the wings to bolster the performance of Aion 2.

This is precisely why, for the Park Byung-moo administration, Aion 2 represents the final line of defense that cannot afford to fail. While a flop for Aion 2 might not sink NC overnight, it would certainly lead shareholders and employees to seriously question CEO Park Byung-moo’s leadership and strategic vision. In the worst-case scenario, one cannot rule out the potential collapse of the current regime. Can Aion 2 truly stave off this crisis and allow CEO Park Byung-moo to continue the work of structural reform?