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Photo = Netmarble |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Sangjin] Netmarble FNC is facing labor tensions as it reorganizes its development team for the upcoming game Demis Re:Born. The union claims that the restructuring is a retaliatory move against employees who opposed the appointment of a new Art Director (AD), while the company argues that the adjustments were made to realign the project's direction and address staffing shortages in other areas.
On January 9, the National Federation of Chemical, Textile, Food Workers' Union (KCTU), Netmarble Branch, held a press conference in front of the Netmarble headquarters in Guro, Seoul, demanding an end to what they described as "hasty forced reassignments" and "restructuring through idle assignments."
According to the union, Netmarble FNC reduced the Demis Re:Born development team by 22 members at the end of last year. Demis Re:Born is a subculture-style collectible RPG based on the company's original intellectual property, Grand Cross, with a planned release in the second half of the year. The game had received positive feedback during internal testing in July 2024.
By the end of the year, around 17 members of the Demis Re:Born development team were reassigned, and 5 were placed on standby. The union argues that these actions were driven by the influence of the new AD, claiming that after staff voiced concerns about poor communication regarding art direction changes, the restructuring was carried out as a form of retaliation.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim SangJin(letyou@alphabiz.co.kr)
