Nekcom raises $8 million to fuel game development and expansion

Game development company Nekcom today announced it has closed an $8 million round of funding. It plans to put the money towards expanding internationally, as well as developing its games.

Galaxy Interactive led the round, and Ryan You, its co-head of gaming, will join Nekcom’s board of directors. According to Nekcom, it will accelerate its game development and use the funding for R&D as well as its international expansion.

The company has announced two games which are currently in development: Showa American Story, an action RPG about a zombie apocalypse set in 80s America; and Dying: 1983, a first-person puzzle horror game and the sequel to Dying: Reborn.

Nekcom USA

As part of its international expansion plans, the Chinese company opened its first US-based studio in New York City this year. Nekcom has appointed Kimmy Li as CEO of Nekcom USA.

Nekcom chairman and founder Xiangyu Luo said of the new appointment, “The U.S. has been strategically important for Nekcom since day one, as we are focused on our high-level console and PC game development. We are excited to open our office in Manhattan, led by Kimmy Li, to drive international expansion. Our development team in China will benefit from her vast business experience as we continue development of both our Dying and Showa series.”

Li spoke to GamesBeat in an interview, and said, “The US has been very important for us because it has by far the most PC and console players, and they are very active gamers with active communities. Our first gamers launched in 2016, and the majority of gamers are from the U.S., and we really want to engage with the local gamers. First we established our US studio in New York City, and we’re going to focus on growing the local community, trying to get close to our gamers, get their feedback quickly, and to facilitate the game development. We’re also looking to open other studios internationally, where the talents are.”