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Nexon to refund MapleStory game users after item probability error

Published: 29 Jan. 2026, 15:40 Updated: 29 Jan. 2026, 18:13

A PC bang decorated with themes from the popular Nexon game MapleStory is seen in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2025. [NEXON]

Game developer Nexon decided to fully refund all payments made by users of its new mobile game MapleStory: Idle RPG following accusations that the company manipulated in-game item probabilities.

“We made a grave error by modifying the game without notice even after identifying a gameplay issue,” the game’s operators said, announcing the refund on Nexon’s official website on Wednesday. “We take full responsibility and have decided to issue full refunds to all users.”

The refunds will cover all purchases made between Nov. 6 of last year and Tuesday. This marks the first time Nexon has ever issued full refunds for in-game transactions since its founding in 1994.

MapleStory: Idle RPG, released on Nov. 6 last year, is a mobile game based on the intellectual property of the popular franchise MapleStory. It quickly topped sales charts on both Google and Apple's online stores within two months of launch.

However, suspicions of manipulated probability arose among users after the actual drop rates for paid items differed from those disclosed in advance.

An image featuring characters from the popular Nexon game MapleStory [NEXON]

Nexon admitted to the discrepancy on Monday, attributing it to a coding error. The company explained that a calculation formula used in the game’s code had mistakenly used “less than” instead of “less than or equal to,” making it impossible for players to receive the maximum value from certain paid items.

A developer also reportedly discovered the error but corrected the code in December last year without issuing a notice.

“We sincerely apologize for disappointing our users,” Nexon Korea co-CEOs Kang Dae-hyun and Kim Jung-wook said in a joint statement. “We will conduct an internal investigation and impose all necessary disciplinary actions, including termination.”

Korean gamers have become highly sensitive to allegations of probability manipulation.

Nexon Korea co-CEOs Kang Dae-hyun, left, and Kim Jung-wook are seen during a meeting with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, not pictured, at Nexon Korea's headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi on Jan. 15. [NEWS1]

The Korea Game Users Association filed a complaint on Tuesday with the Fair Trade Commission against Nexon on behalf of 1,507 players of the game. However, following Nexon’s full refund announcement on Wednesday, the complaint was withdrawn.

Industry observers say the incident is likely to strengthen regulations surrounding randomized in-game items.

In December, President Lee Jae Myung pointed out during a policy briefing from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that “the fundamental reason game companies engage in probability manipulation is to generate profits,” and added, “Economic sanctions, or ‘financial therapy,’ are necessary to block such practices.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY OH HYEON-WOO [[email protected]]