Blizzard will transfer publishing duties for Overwatch on PC in South Korea to Nexon next month.
Player migration is scheduled for August 12, coinciding with the start of the game’s fourth season. Registration and account linking began on July 7.
Earlier this year, Blizzard and Nexon agreed to develop a hyper-localised Overwatch service for Korean players.
Blizzard will supply the Overwatch IP and continue to lead game development. Nexon will manage live service and business operations.
Both companies will hire additional local talent to support the new service.
“The Nexon team has been working closely with Blizzard to provide a service that enhances the Overwatch experience through Nexon’s live operations and hyperlocalisation,” said Nexon president and CEO Junghun Lee.
Blizzard SVP of live games Walter Kong added: “Together with Nexon, we are proud of the high-quality, tailored experience we are building for players in Korea, and we are excited to usher in this new chapter for the Korean Overwatch community.”
The publishing agreement was announced after Nexon posted its first-quarter results, which saw net income rise 118% year-over-year to ¥57.2 billion ($360.7 million).
This growth was supported by the continued success of Embark Studios’ Arc Raiders, which sold an additional 4.6 million units during the quarter.
