Nexon Korea, the operator of the online game MapleStory, is set to face a hefty fine of more than 10 billion won from the Korea Fair Trade Commission for selling game items with virtually zero chance of being won.
The KFTC announced on Jan. 3 that it would impose a corrective order and a fine of 11.64 billion won (US$8.883 million) on Nexon for unfairly altering the odds of its random item drops in a way that was disadvantageous to consumers and for either failing to properly notify or falsely reporting these changes, violating the Electronic Commerce Act. This fine is the largest ever imposed for a case of Electronic Commerce Act violation, concluding an investigation that began three years ago.
Nexon introduced a probability-based item called “Cube” in MapleStory in May 2010. Cubes are items that enhance the equipment worn by game characters. When purchasing a Cube, the type and nature of the item is determined only at the point of use, making it a kind of random draw.
The issue lies in Nexon’s alleged manipulation of these draw odds to near zero percent. Initially, Nexon set equal chances for all options, but from September 2010, they altered the probability structure to make popular options less likely to appear. From August 2011 to March 2021, over a span of nearly 10 years, upgrade property options like “Bobobo” (increase in damage to boss monsters) and “Bangbangbang” (ignoring monster defense) were made impossible to obtain, yet this change was not disclosed. In fact, in August 2011, Nexon announced that there were “no changes to the Cube function, and it remains as before.”
The KFTC investigation also revealed Nexon’s “submarine patching,” the practice of making changes to the game without notifying players. After releasing an item in July 2013 that could upgrade equipment to the highest grade, Nexon gradually decreased its success rate. While these changes were not publicly disclosed, Nexon’s internal documents stated, “The purpose of functional items is to provide a decisive blow that can be bought with money for some impatient users,” indicating deliberate intent.
The KFTC stated, “The most important information in probability-based items is the odds. As digital intangible goods, if the seller does not announce or falsely reports this information, consumers cannot be aware.” They explained that Nexon’s actions involved omitting or falsely reporting key information that could influence consumer decisions.
Over ten years, Nexon announced minor game changes 449 times but never disclosed changes in probabilities that were disadvantageous to consumers. During this period, sales of Cubes are estimated to have exceeded 550 billion won, accounting for 30% of MapleStory’s total sales.
Nexon has protested against the KFTC’s sanction, claiming it to be excessive. In a statement released today, Nexon stated, “This issue pertains to the period before 2016 when there was no obligation to disclose information about probability-based items. The KFTC’s retrospective sanctions will greatly shrink Korea’s gaming industry.” They announced plans to file an objection with the KFTC or seek a judicial decision.