Netmarble is planning to release its enormously successful game Lineage 2: Revolution in Japan and China by the end of 2017.
As reported by Reuters, the company said in a briefing that it would launch the game in Japan in the third quarter of 2017. The China release is set to follow in the fourth quarter.
The developer is likely to run into issues with this launch however, given China's current ban on South Korean developers launching games in the country.
Big in China
Netmarble remains undeterred, however. It is reportedly hoping the ban has been lifted by the time it is ready to release, and its CEO Kwon Young-sig is confident that the game could be a top three title in China.
Lineage 2: Revolution has been enormously successful in its home country of South Korea. It was found to be the top grossing game worldwide in February 2017 despite having only been launched in one country.
Netmarble is also gearing up to go public in May 2017. It plans to raise $4.4 billion and go on an acquisition spree following the IPO.
We recently interviewed Lineage 2: Revolution's Game Director Cho ShinHwa on how the game came to be and how the studio went about bringing a PC MMORPG to mobile.
