Nexon has unveiled an ambitious AI strategy centered on a proprietary platform called Mono Lake, while newly appointed executive chairman Patrick Söderlund prepares to restructure the company's project portfolio.
The South Korean publisher behind Arc Raiders and MapleStory outlined plans to integrate AI tools throughout its entire development pipeline and live service operations during a capital markets briefing in Tokyo on March 31, 2026.
CEO Junghun Lee described Mono Lake as an "end-to-end intelligence" platform designed to inform production decisions across the company. The system draws on decades of proprietary data—billions of player sessions, engagement metrics, retention patterns, monetization behavior, and live game telemetry—to provide what Lee characterizes as contextual intelligence unavailable elsewhere.
"Mono Lake makes the intelligence available across everything we build and operate—every developer, every live ops team, every product decision has access to the base of information we've accumulated over decades," Lee explained.
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Lee argued that context separates meaningful AI implementation from mere automation. "AI without context is just speed. Faster output of a generic outcome. Tools that know nothing about design history, player behavior, or innovation," he said. "Without context, AI is a race to the arithmetic middle where everyone's games look the same. That's not a competitive advantage. That's noise, at scale."
The CEO positioned Mono Lake as a tool to free creative teams rather than replace them, allowing developers to make informed decisions based on player data few competitors can match. "Our methodology doesn't replace creative people, it frees them to create, with context," he said.
Lee pointed to Arc Raiders—which has surpassed 14 million sales—as proof of concept. He described the extraction shooter's success as a "trojan horse" demonstrating how technology can help developers "spend more time thinking and less time typing. More time innovating; less time writing code."
Lee has consistently championed AI adoption in game development, previously stating that "it's important to assume that every game company is now using AI."
Embark Studios CCO Stefan Strandberg confirmed that Arc Raiders utilized AI tools during development, though he clarified in an interview with Eurogamer that no generative AI was employed in production. Nexon has not characterized Mono Lake as a generative AI platform.
Patrick Söderlund, recently appointed as Nexon's executive chairman, announced a comprehensive company reset during the same briefing. The restructuring will involve project cancellations and portfolio reassessment, though Söderlund did not confirm whether layoffs are planned.
"We've been through the entire portfolio of both live games and new projects to determine which can meet or outperform our new floor for contribution margins," Söderlund said. "Revenue assumptions are being stress tested based on realistic assumptions, not what we hope for. Costs are being scrutinized. Some projects will get more funding. Some will be restructured. Some will be cancelled."
The review extends beyond game projects to corporate infrastructure, including general and administrative expenses, shared services, management structure, support functions, and external contractors.
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Söderlund framed the strategy as "fewer bets" with "more conviction," citing underperforming titles like Dungeon & Fighter Mobile, extended production schedules, and escalating overhead costs that compressed margins despite record revenue.
The executive chairman emphasized that the restructuring aims to enable sustainable growth rather than simply cut costs. "We plan to invest in all new opportunities—deploying capital toward acquisitions that meet one test: can this become something players build their lives around?" he said. "The revenue growth is coming. The difference going forward is that it stays and won't be erased by growing costs."
Söderlund echoed Lee's perspective on AI, arguing that intelligent tool adoption can improve output quality while reducing costs. He described Embark's approach as questioning fundamental assumptions about development workflows—from greenlight processes to determining which tasks require human input versus machine efficiency.
"Yes, some of that involves AI. But it's really about encouraging people to use smarter processes, better tools, and to let go of habits that no longer serve them," Söderlund said.
Embark is now working to instill this methodology across Nexon, with developers from both companies collaborating to examine not just what they build, but how they build it. "This is an initiative that big companies rarely attempt," Söderlund noted.
"When they open that door, surprising things can happen. People who've been sitting on an idea for years speak up. Rather than waiting for orders from the top, teams take initiative. We just needed to make it clear that's welcome."
Game Developer has reached out to Nexon for additional technical details about how Mono Lake operates.