Have you ever spent an embarrassing amount of time in an MMO, praying for a rare item to drop? Spending a huge fortune in mobile gacha games just for that one last pull? Well, you’re not alone; those frustratingly elusive odds are practically a hallmark of free-to-play games, especially for mobile RPGs. However, one Korean developer called Webzen is in hot water for more than stingy gacha drop rates.
According to Korean media Gamevu via Google Translate and DeepL, Webzen’s CEO Tae-Young Kim was called to testify in Korea’s National Assembly on October 21. During the state audit, spearheaded by politician Seong-Dong Kweon, Kim faced tough questions about allegations of shady practices. From alleged gacha odds manipulation in MU Archangel and abrupt game service terminations to concerns around user data potentially being leaked to China.
Representative Kwon highlighted a discrepancy between the stated item drop rates and the actual probabilities in the game’s gacha. “Contrary to what was announced, the probability of winning an item increased by 0% up to the 149th draw, and only increased by 0.1% from the 150th draw onward,” Kwon remarked (Google translated). The representative calls this manipulation a ‘typical act of fraud,’ liking it to ‘falsifying a product’s country of origin’ in an agricultural case.
Webzen is well-known in Asia for making various free-to-play MMORPGs such as the MU Online series, Archlord, and C9. The company recently faced growing scrutiny as gaming regulations and consumer rights tighten across the country.
Earlier this year, Korea passed a law requiring game companies to disclose the actual probabilities of items pulled from gacha. This aims to give players transparency in any kind of loot-based mechanics. Alongside Webzen, other major developers like Ragnarok Online’s Gravity and Lineage M’s NCsoft are also under scrutiny from Korea’s Fair Trade Commission.
But gacha rates weren’t the only issue put on the table. Kwon also criticized Webzen for selling in-game items to players right up until a game’s server shut down. “How would game companies exist without players?” questioned Kwon, underscoring the need for greater regulation for in-game purchases.
Additionally, Kim was questioned about a potential data privacy issue, specifically a contract allowing personal information to be shared with China. Kim responded that Webzen operates in compliance with Korean data laws, mirroring the practices of other industry peers. However, the Fair Trade Commission is still investigating this matter.
