Seoul: South Korea's leading online gaming firm Nexon Co. reported a 23 percent decrease in its net profit for the third quarter, attributing the decline to unfavorable currency exchange rates. The company's net profit for the July-September period was 245 billion won (US$174.4 million), down from 319.1 billion won in the same period the previous year, as stated in a regulatory filing by the Japan-listed firm. According to Yonhap News Agency, despite the drop in net profit, Nexon experienced an 11 percent increase in operating profit, reaching 467.2 billion won, and a similar 11 percent rise in sales, totaling 1.23 trillion won. The company cited the weak yen against the U.S. dollar as the primary reason for the decline in net profit, despite robust sales figures. The combined sales of Nexon's three major franchises-Dungeon and Fighter, MapleStory, and FC-rose 15 percent compared to the previous year. Notably, its new looter shooter title, The First Descendant, accounted for 75 percent of its third-quarter sales in North America and Europe since its release in July. The overseas sales of MapleStory increased by 23 percent, with record sales in regions such as Japan, North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, attributed to the company's hyperlocalization efforts. Sales in China surged by 138 percent on the popularity of Dungeon and Fighter Mobile, while revenue from North America and Europe increased by 93 percent. Despite these gains, domestic sales in Japan saw a decline of 38 percent, although sales from Japan itself advanced by 91 percent. In an effort to enhance shareholder value, Nexon announced plans to repurchase 181.3 billion won worth of its own shares from Wednesday until January 31. Originally founded in South Korea in 1994, Nexon is now headquartered in Japan and has been listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since late 2011.