NC is stepping up its global expansion with a two-track strategy tailored to regional markets, introducing Astrae Oratio in Japan while preparing Aion 2 for a broader international release.

The South Korean game publisher showcased Astrae Oratio at the Tokyo Game Show, held Thursday to Monday at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. NC operated a dedicated booth and unveiled the title’s first playable demo to local gamers.

Developed by Japanese studio Dynamis One and published globally by NC, Astrae Oratio is a supernatural magic role-playing game set in a fictional Tokyo in 1989, where magic exists alongside everyday life. Its story centers on an ordinary civil servant at a government agency that oversees magicians, blending fantasy with public administration.

NC said 30,000 people visited the booth during the five-day event. When the show opened to the public Saturday, waiting times reached the organizer-set maximum of 120 minutes, temporarily closing the demo queue. Limited-edition merchandise distributed through demonstrations and events also ran out.

The company plans to use feedback from the Tokyo Game Show and closed beta testing to refine Astrae Oratio ahead of its planned 2027 launch.

Meanwhile, NC is preparing Aion 2 for markets including North America and Europe. It conducted a global launch-scale test Sept. 17-18 to assess server and infrastructure stability before early access begins Sept. 30.

The official global release is scheduled for Oct. 5 through Steam and NC’s Purple platform. The PC-only version will operate regional servers across North America, South America, Europe, and Japan and support 10 languages.

NC is pursuing growth by expanding revenue from existing intellectual properties, launching new intellectual properties globally and growing its mobile casual game business. The company is also broadening its portfolio beyond massively multiplayer online role-playing games, while tailoring titles and service models to individual markets.

By Lim Ye-jin (yejinlim@heraldcorp.com)