South Korea’s WeMade Expands Blockchain Focus with New Products and Social Communities
South Korean game developer WeMade is doubling down on blockchain innovation, signaling a pivotal shift in its strategy for 2025. In a recent New Year’s address to executives and employees, WeMade CEO Park Kwan-ho highlighted blockchain technology as a cornerstone of the company’s future. Park emphasized that the upcoming year represents a turning point for WeMade, with ambitions to expand its blockchain services and integrate decentralized social communities into its ecosystem.
“We will open up new possibilities and further solidify our position in the global market through the convergence of the game business and the blockchain business.” This vision builds on the success of WeMixPlay, the company’s blockchain-based gaming platform, and WePublic, a community-driven initiative leveraging blockchain’s transparency and data immutability. WeMade’s blockchain ambitions are closely tied to its gaming roots. The company’s flagship title, Night Crow, has strengthened its position in global gaming markets, providing the foundation for further expansion. Park’s roadmap for 2025 includes the launch of new games like Dismins War and Midnight Walkers, as well as the highly anticipated MMORPG Legend of Imir. At the heart of this initiative is Park’s belief that blockchain can connect gaming and real-life applications and create new trust-driven gaming communities.
Blockchain at the Core of WeMade’s Expansion: What To Expect?
WeMade’s blockchain journey began with the creation of WeMixPlay, a platform allowing developers to launch blockchain-powered games. In 2024, the company reorganized the WeMix ecosystem to bolster growth and enhance service offerings. CEO Park envisions transforming WeMixPlay into a global platform that delivers innovative gaming experiences worldwide. WeMixPlay’s success will hinge on expanding its catalog of blockchain-based games and onboarding new developers to create a thriving ecosystem. In addition to WeMixPlay, WePublic is another key pillar of WeMade’s blockchain strategy. WePublic leverages blockchain technology to foster decentralized communities and facilitate collaborative projects. WeMade is solidifying its blockchain gaming ambitions, driven by the success of its title, Night Crows.
According to a March 2024 report, Night Crows attracted 150,000 concurrent users within a day of launch, surpassing the performance of WeMade’s earlier hit, MIR4. Park also stressed the importance of blockchain’s transparency, saying: “The biggest advantage of blockchain is the transparency and inoperability of data. We will focus on building new social communities in areas where trust is needed by exploiting the inoperability of data.” The expansion into decentralized social communities is expected to align with new game releases in 2025. Titles like Dismins War and Midnight Walkers will target new genres and audiences, reinforcing the synergy between WeMade’s gaming expertise and blockchain innovations.
Global Expansion Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
WeMade’s blockchain ambitions extend beyond South Korea, reflecting a global outlook. In late 2023, WeMade partnered with Whampoa Digital, a Singapore-based investment firm, to launch a $100 million web3 fund targeting blockchain gaming projects. Despite the rising innovation and 2023 losses, WeMade faced some regulatory setbacks in 2024. According to a February 2024 report, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) investigated WeMade for allegedly providing unregistered crypto wallet and exchange services. The probe, initiated after a tip-off from the Digital Asset Exchange Association (DAXA), suggests that WeMade’s PLAY WALLET and PNIX DEX services may operate without the necessary permits. This scrutiny comes after WeMade net losses of $142.6 million in Q4 2023. Also, before the investigations, WeMade was hit with a $41 million tax bill by the National Tax Service (NTS) for its crypto-related operations between 2019 and 2022.