$202M Deal: JustPlay Joins NCSOFT's Gaming World
JustPlay reaches more than 25 million players and over 500k daily active users across 25+ countries - © JustPlay
Berlin-based rewarded gaming startup JustPlay has just made major headlines: South Korean gaming giant NCSOFT is acquiring a 70% stake in the company for $202 million. For a bootstrapped startup founded just five years ago, that is quite a milestone.
According to the company's press release, JustPlay operates more than 40 mobile casual games across Android and iOS, reaching over 25 million players and 500,000 daily active users in more than 25 countries. The platform lets users play games and earn real rewards, combining gaming, adtech, and payments into one integrated ecosystem.
In an interview with deutsche-startups.de, co-founder and CEO Carl Livie explained the core idea plainly: "Mobile gaming is the largest entertainment category in the world. We just give players something back for what they'd do anyway." The Berlin startup generated around $172.8 million in revenue and $19.1 million in profit in 2025, now targeting $300 million for 2026.
The partnership with NCSOFT, known for franchises like Lineage and Guild Wars, brings strategic backing without changing JustPlay's direction. "We believe NCSOFT is the right partner for this next chapter," Livie said in the press release.
With roughly 50 of its 110 employees based at its Berlin headquarters, JustPlay is exactly the kind of capital-efficient success story the city's startup scene can be proud of. The founders are already aiming higher: a $500 million annual run rate by end of 2027, which Livie says would make JustPlay one of the most successful young companies in Berlin.
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