Dave the Diver developer Mintrocket to be spun off from Nexon

Nexon will transform Mintrocket into a standalone entity to enhance its development capabilities and autonomy, following the success of its game Dave the Diver.

Game developer Mintrocket's video game Dave the Diver [NEXON]

Game developer Mintrocket, known for smash hit Dave the Diver, will become a separate business entity under parent company Nexon.

The arrangement will enable Mintrocket to work more independently, solely focus on development and freely cooperate with global partners, game publisher Nexon said in a statement Wednesday.

Mintrocket was formed as a sub-brand under Nexon in May 2022. It was elevated to a division in April of this year following the success of Dave the Diver, the PC version of which sold one million copies within 10 days of its release. Versions for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch were subsequently released. The game earned positive reviews from critics and players as well as a design award at the Bafta Game Awards 2024.

Nexon emphasized that Mintrocket, as a separate entity, will foster a strong development culture with high independence and a streamlined administrative process. Mintrocket aims to develop multiple small-scale projects at a faster speed after going independent. Additional changes to the firm’s business hierarchy, structure and rewards system will be made to motivate staff.

Nexon will hold a 100 percent stake in Mintrocket and continue to financially invest in the developer.

Mintrocket head Hwang Jae-ho will be promoted to become the company’s first CEO. Hwang, in addition to directing Dave the Diver, also worked on games Evil Factory and Godzilla Defense Force.

“Going independent was the optimal choice to create an environment that best preserved Mintrocket’s identity and to flexibly deal with market conditions,” Hwang said through Nexon’s statement. “The staff will solely focus on game development in the new environment to create the second and third Dave the Diver.”

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]