Seoul: South Korea's leading online gaming firm Nexon Co. reported a 77 percent increase in its second-quarter net income from the previous year, driven by the sustained growth of its major franchise games.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Nexon's net profit reached 29.6 billion yen (US$185.7 million) for the April-June period, compared to 16.8 billion yen in the same period last year. Despite the increase in net income, the company's operating profit saw a 17 percent decline on-year, settling at 31.3 billion yen. Sales experienced a modest rise of 2 percent, amounting to 121.1 billion yen.

Nexon attributed the significant rise in net profits primarily to the success of its MapleStory franchise both domestically and internationally, along with the successful launch of ARC Raiders in October of the previous year. The company noted that the operating profit and sales figures for the first half of the year were the highest recorded for any six-month period.

Looking ahead, Nexon stated its intention to bolster growth momentum by diversifying its portfolio. This will involve launching new games across a range of genres and expanding its existing intellectual properties that have consistently performed well in the market.