Q&A with Neowiz co-CEO Sean Kim examines 2025 results, Lies of P: Overture’s impact, release strategy, five unannounced games, partnerships with Wolfeye and Zakazane, the sequel’s status, Korea’s PC/console pivot, mobile milestones, and how generative AI is shaping publishing today.

Neowiz CEO Maps 2025 Strategy, Lies of P Future, AI

It’s officially 2026, and in an email Q&A with Neowiz co-CEO Sean Kim, we discussed the publisher’s 2025 outcomes, the Lies of P: Overture expansion, release strategy, generative AI adoption, and the path ahead. Kim said sales and sentiment for Lies of P exceeded expectations, with Overture drawing new players and awards attention. Neowiz highlighted five unannounced games in development, partnerships with Wolfeye and Zakazane, and successes like Shape of Dreams. Mobile remains important, with Cats & Soup surpassing 60 million downloads year.

Overture’s momentum and awards

Kim acknowledged uncertainty entering late 2025, but said results outpaced forecasts on the back of strong reception for Lies of P and its Overture DLC. "We bet heavily on the remarkable skill and passion of our development and publishing teams, and it paid off. Lies of P sales and sentiment numbers were strong," said Sean Kim, co-CEO of Neowiz. Overture lifted the base game and community, Kim added, solidified an emerging pillar franchise amid acclaim including Golden Joystick and Lenovo 3D Juego awards.

Pipeline and partners

Neowiz signaled a pipeline beyond Lies of P, noting five unannounced projects spanning sequel, narrative RPG, and life simulation. Neowiz is internally developing more than five PC and console titles while partnering with Wolfeye and Zakazane. "Our core strategy is to expand the size of our fanbase and deepen engagement among players who enjoy our games. We like to define IP as 'content + fans,'" said Kim. Highlights include Shape of Dreams, which sold 500,000 copies in its first month, and SANABI.

Genre-agnostic, director-led decisions

Kim said Neowiz does not chase genres; projects start with a director’s creative vision, not a prescribed play style. The publisher evaluates pitches on market attractiveness, the ability to assemble a high-quality team, and long-term plans to grow a fanbase. Those criteria guide greenlight decisions and reviews across development. The goal is expanding engaged communities around strong content, with the Lies of P franchise expected to continue while other projects advance through milestones designed to sustain players over years in global markets today.

Sequel status and validation

On the in-development sequel, Kim kept details close. "At this point, there is nothing specific we can share in detail. I can tell you that the team at Round8 Studio is excited about their work and fully focused on development," he said. Overture’s release was described as a watershed moment for Neowiz’s franchise-driven strategy, adding insight into executing globally. For Round8, the expansion underscored Lies of P’s competitiveness worldwide and celebrated the creativity and ambition of its developers, buoyed by awards attention.

PC/console push and AI adoption

Kim agreed South Korean publishers are leaning harder into PC and console as growth areas amid intense mobile competition, even as mobile remains a pillar. Cats & Soup marked its fourth anniversary in August and recorded 60 million downloads last year, with spin-off Cats & Soup: Magic Recipe launching in April. He said AI adoption is widespread in Korea, and Neowiz is researching automation to process test cases and analyze operational data, enabling its publishing teams to make sharper, data-driven decisions with partners.