NEXUS Co., Ltd. has pulled the trigger on a surprise acquisition of the struggling local app store ONE store, declaring a bold ambition to transform it into a global gaming hub.

On the 18th, the board of directors at NEXUS Co., Ltd. greenlit the acquisition of 20,247,990 shares of ONE store (an 89.03% stake) for approximately 62.6 billion KRW. The sellers include SK Square (45.78%), Naver (24.06%), SteelNumberOne (17.02%), and Krafton (2.17%). This move is being read as a strategic play to combine platform muscle and infrastructure to dominate the next-gen content distribution market. Notably, the major shareholders—SK Square, Naver, and Krafton—aren't just offloading their shares; they are staying on as strategic investors in NEXUS Co., Ltd.

NEXUS Co., Ltd. plans to leverage this acquisition to supercharge the vision and strategy ONE store has cultivated over the years. With over 38 million installations across the domestic market, the goal is to evolve it into a true 'Game Hub.' The company intends to integrate its full-stack gaming platform tech—including web shops, payment systems, communities, and reward schemes—to turn ONE store into the 'ultimate space for games.'

Looking abroad, the plan is to pivot toward a virtual asset-based game store with blockchain technology front and centre. Unlike the restrictive policies of traditional app stores, this new iteration aims to be a 'Web3 native' destination, serving as a single global build platform for Web3 titles. By shedding the limitations of legacy markets, they hope to capture the lead in the future of game distribution.

Furthermore, NEXUS Co., Ltd. is positioning ONE store as an 'AI-native game platform' to keep pace with the era of content creation. As AI lowers the barriers to entry, content output will inevitably explode, making traditional human-led review processes look archaic. NEXUS Co., Ltd. aims to deploy an AI-native system capable of real-time analysis and curation, effectively bridging the gap between massive amounts of AI-generated content and the players.

In tandem, NEXUS Co., Ltd. is unifying its branding. The mainnet of the on-chain game platform, 'CROSS', will be rebranded to 'ONE chain', and its native token 'CROSS ($CROSS)' will become 'ONE ($ONE)'. This consolidation is intended to create a cohesive business identity under the 'ONE ($ONE)' banner, linking both domestic and international operations.

NEXUS Co., Ltd. CEO Jang Hyun-guk stated, 'We will provide more enjoyable experiences for players and more powerful solutions for game developers. As we face a paradigm shift driven by AI and blockchain, we will work tirelessly until we achieve our vision of becoming the world's number one gaming platform.'