WEBTOON Expands into Gaming with Strategic Investment in RI Games

Los Angeles-based WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to make a strategic investment in RI Games Holdings Inc. The investment gives WEBTOON a dedicated pipeline to develop games from hit webcomics with established, built-in global fandoms. Upon closing, WEBTOON Entertainment will hold a 60% majority stake in RI Games Holdings.

Together, WEBTOON and RI Games Holdings plan to develop and launch multiple games over the next four years, based on proven intellectual property with an established global fan base. RI Games Holdings operates through two game development studios, GrayGames and Offbeat. The slate includes games based on the hit series Overgeared (1.3 billion global views), Doom Breaker (590 million global views) and WEBTOON sensation Omniscient Reader (aka ORV, 3.05 billion global views). Each title is part of a broader franchise strategy, with planned anime adaptations helping extend these stories and engage wider audiences – from webcomic to animation and games.

Leading the lineup is a new action MMORPG based on the hit webcomic, Overgeared, scheduled for global launch later this year. Developed by GrayGames and published by NEXON, the game is planned to launch alongside an anime adaptation, which premieres in October 2026. Together, the releases will drive a coordinated cross-media expansion designed to broaden the franchise’s global reach and give fans new ways to experience the world of Overgeared.

“WEBTOON is where global fandoms begin, and with this investment, we’re taking a more direct role in growing stories into global franchises,” said Junkoo Kim, founder & CEO of WEBTOON Entertainment. “Games are one of the most immersive forms of fandom, and building them from stories fans already love is a powerful way to reach new audiences everywhere. This strengthens our track record of turning original stories into global franchises across animation, television, film, publishing and now games.”

RI Games Holdings was founded in 2022 by Kevin Tail Han, who also founded Redice Studio, the webcomic studio behind some of the biggest titles in webcomics, including Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader (aka ORV). RI Games Holdings develops games for players around the world, with a team of top developers whose track record includes MapleStory M, Tower of God: New World, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, Lineage W and Aion 1, among others.

“We look forward to partnering with WEBTOON on the next phase of growth for RI Games Holdings,” said Kevin Tail Han, founder of RI Games Holdings. “Driven by our deep understanding of and passion for WEBTOON IP, we aim to create games that deliver immersive interactive experiences, bringing fans together while extending the reach and experience of each IP.”

WEBTOON Entertainment’s global IP business adapts stories across animation, television, film, publishing and games, scaling those fandoms to global audiences. Each new format also brings fresh audiences back to the original series on WEBTOON, deepening engagement with the original stories and expanding the audiences for the whole franchise.

WEBTOON Entertainment’s strong track record of delivering hits for streamers like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Crunchyroll – including Emmy-nominated Chicken Nugget, Bloodhounds S2, Clevatess S2 and The Legend of Kitchen Soldier – gives the company confidence in the opportunity presented by an expansion into gaming.

Information for this article was sourced from WEBTOON Entertainment.