NCSOFT Promotes Sunggu Lee to Senior VP as AION 2 Drives Executive Shake-Up

Why It Matters

The promotions reward AION 2’s revenue surge and signal NCSOFT’s focus on expanding its mobile MMO pipeline and AI capabilities, positioning the company for sustained growth in a competitive market.

Key Takeaways

• Lee promoted to Senior VP after AION 2 success
• AION 2 revenue exceeds KRW 100 billion
• Koo Hyunbeom also elevated to Senior VP
• New projects: Horizon Steel Frontiers, Next Lineage, Project JSY
• AI unit leaders promoted, signaling growth focus

Pulse Analysis

NCSOFT’s latest executive reshuffle underscores how a single title can reshape a studio’s leadership hierarchy. AION 2’s rapid climb past KRW 100 billion in cumulative revenue not only revived the company’s earnings but also validated its investment in high‑budget, cross‑platform MMOs. By elevating Sunggu Lee, the long‑standing CBO, to Senior Vice President, NCSOFT is consolidating strategic oversight of both its flagship mobile franchises and upcoming console collaborations, ensuring a unified vision across its expanding portfolio.

The promotion of COO Koo Hyunbeom alongside Lee reflects a broader operational realignment aimed at accelerating development pipelines for mobile titles like Lineage M, Lineage 2M, and the upcoming Horizon Steel Frontiers partnership with Sony. These projects represent NCSOFT’s push into next‑generation gameplay experiences that blend traditional MMO mechanics with mobile‑first design. By assigning senior leadership to steer Horizon Steel Frontiers, Next Lineage and Project JSY, the company signals confidence in its ability to capture both existing fans and new audiences in a crowded market.

Equally notable is the elevation of AI division heads to executive director roles, highlighting NCSOFT’s commitment to integrating artificial‑intelligence innovations into its games and services. As the industry leans toward AI‑driven personalization, matchmaking and content generation, these promotions suggest a strategic bet on technology to differentiate future releases. Together, the leadership changes position NCSOFT to leverage AION 2’s financial momentum while diversifying its product slate and deepening its technical capabilities, a move likely to attract investors and partners seeking robust growth in the global gaming sector.

NCSOFT Promotes Sunggu Lee to Senior VP as AION 2 Drives Executive Shake-Up

Doohyun “Biit” Lee · Jan 30, 2026 · Image description: A middle‑aged Asian man with black hair, dark‑framed glasses, and a dark green shirt is holding a microphone with “NC” on it and speaking.

NCSOFT carried out an executive reshuffle on the 29th, promoting Chief Business Officer (CBO) Sunggu Lee and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Koo Hyunbeom to Senior Vice President. The moves are being read as performance‑driven appointments that reflect the commercial success of AION 2, released in November last year, as well as contributions to maintaining the Lineage IP.

Senior Vice President Sunggu Lee joined NCSOFT in 2004 and has overseen development and business operations across the company’s major mobile titles, including Lineage M, Lineage 2M, and Lineage W. He is currently leading next‑key projects such as Horizon Steel Frontiers—a collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment—as well as Next Lineage and Project JSY. Senior Vice President Koo Hyunbeom has managed organizational restructuring and the broader scope of management‑support functions.

Seungwook Baek, the executive director who led development of AION 2, was promoted to Vice President. AION 2 surpassed KRW 100 billion in cumulative revenue through early this month following its launch, helping drive a rebound in the company’s performance. Kim Namjoon (Producer/PD) and So In‑seop, head of the game’s business office—both described as core personnel for AION 2’s development and business operations—were also promoted from managing director to executive director, respectively.

In the AI segment, NC AI CEO Lee Yeon‑soo and Junsoo Lee, head of the R&I office, were each promoted to executive director. This is being interpreted as an evaluation of the spun‑off entity’s technical capabilities and future growth potential.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.