Key Summary
- Devsisters reported a third-quarter operating profit of 7.2 billion won, reversing a loss of 700 million won a year earlier.
- Revenue rose 47.9% year on year to 81.2 billion won, while net income increased 125.5% to 3.7 billion won.
- The company said the turnaround was driven mainly by the global launch of CookieRun: Crumble and stronger overseas sales of CookieRun Classic.
- Game revenue in the quarter reached 76.5 billion won, up 56.0% from a year earlier.
- The company said it plans to keep improving results in the fourth quarter through updates to existing games and expansion in overseas markets.
Main Story
South Korean game maker Devsisters said it moved back into quarterly operating profit in the third quarter, helped by the launch of a new idle RPG and improved performance from its existing CookieRun titles abroad.
The company reported operating profit of 7.2 billion won for the period, compared with an operating loss of 700 million won in the same quarter last year. Revenue came to 81.2 billion won, up 47.9% year on year, and net income reached 3.7 billion won, an increase of 125.5%.
Devsisters said the strongest contribution came from CookieRun: Crumble, which launched globally on July 30. The company said the game surpassed 20 billion won in cumulative revenue and reached 2.5 million users in less than a month after release. It also said the title returned to third place in the game revenue ranking on South Korea’s domestic Apple App Store after a recent update, while monthly user engagement time rose 30% from the early launch period.
CookieRun Classic also supported the overseas business, especially in Thailand. After Thai language support was added last month, the company said new user inflows in the market increased to about 1.5 times the level of the week before the update.
Game revenue for the quarter totaled 76.5 billion won, rising 56.0% from a year earlier. Domestic game revenue increased 115.2% to 28.8 billion won, and overseas game revenue grew 33.8% to 47.7 billion won. Non-game revenue, including intellectual property-related business, fell 19.7% to 4.7 billion won because there were no major new product launches or promotions.
The company also said profitability improved because one-time costs tied to voluntary retirement in the first half were no longer present, and fixed-cost reductions from its organizational restructuring were reflected in the quarter.
Marketing and sales spending remained elevated. Advertising and promotion expenses rose 82.4% year on year to 15.7 billion won, and payment processing fees increased 47.1% to 29.6 billion won. Even so, operating expenses of 73.9 billion won grew at a slower pace than revenue, and the company posted an operating margin of 8.9%.
Devsisters said it aims to extend the improvement in the fourth quarter through updates to existing games and broader overseas expansion. It said CookieRun: Kingdom saw higher revenue and user indicators in the United States through a collaboration with the animated series The Amazing Digital Circus, and it plans to release a new competitive mode, Arena Champions League, on the 11th.
The company also said CookieRun: Adventure of the Tower has been undergoing a second closed beta test in China since the 29th of last month with about 30,000 participants. It said it obtained Chinese approval in August and is preparing a launch with a local publisher.
In non-game business, Devsisters said it plans to release a new North American product for the CookieRun: Braverse Card Game and 10th anniversary merchandise for CookieRun: OvenBreak, with a goal of surpassing 20 billion won in cumulative annual sales. The company also plans to expand offline business for the CookieRun intellectual property through winter-season collaboration festivals at Lotte World Adventure Seoul and Busan.
Background
No additional background was provided beyond the financial results and the company’s stated plans for upcoming game updates, overseas expansion, and non-game IP business.
Items Requiring Further Verification
- The article attributes the quarterly turnaround primarily to specific game performance and cost reductions; these are company-reported explanations and would require independent confirmation.
- The revenue and user metrics for CookieRun: Crumble are presented by the company and are not independently verified in the supplied text.
- The claim that monthly user engagement time rose 30% after launch updates is based on company data.
- The statement that Thai-language support lifted new user inflows to about 1.5 times the prior week is attributed to the company.
- Forward-looking plans for future launches, beta tests, and sales targets are predictive and not yet confirmed outcomes.