Gravity (video game company)

Gravity was founded in April 2000 by a group of developers from the Korean game industry, with the initial goal of creating online games that could be played globally. The company's breakthrough came with the release of Ragnarok Online in 2002, developed by its subsidiary GungHo Online Entertainment (later separated). The game's success in South Korea and subsequent international launches, including in Japan, North America, and Europe, established Gravity as a major player in the MMORPG sector.

In 2005, Gravity was listed on the NASDAQ, but later delisted in 2011 and moved to the KOSDAQ. The company has since diversified, acquiring stakes in various development studios and publishing games across multiple platforms, including mobile and PC.¹

Gravity's core business revolves around the Ragnarok Online franchise, which includes the original PC game, Ragnarok Online 2, and numerous mobile spin-offs such as Ragnarok M: Eternal Love and Ragnarok Origin. The company also publishes third-party titles and develops games based on popular webtoons, such as Ragnarok: The Lost Memories and Ragnarok: Landverse.²

In recent years, Gravity has expanded into blockchain gaming, launching Ragnarok: Monster World and Ragnarok: Labyrinth vs. NFT, which integrate non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and play-to-earn mechanics.

Gravity operates through several regional subsidiaries, including Gravity Interactive (North America), Gravity Communications (Europe), and Gravity Game Arise (Southeast Asia). These entities handle localization, publishing, and customer support for different territories. The company has also established partnerships with local publishers in regions like Latin America and the Middle East to expand its reach.

Notably, Gravity's European operations were once managed by a separate entity, but the company later consolidated its European publishing under Gravity Communications to streamline operations.

Beyond its flagship franchise, Gravity has been involved in several niche projects. For example, the company developed Requiem, a dark fantasy MMORPG, and Dragon Saga, a side-scrolling action game. It also published Ragnarok Odyssey, a PlayStation Vita action RPG that was well-received in Japan but less known internationally.

Gravity has a history of legal disputes over intellectual property, including a notable case against a Chinese company over the unauthorized use of Ragnarok assets. Additionally, the company has experimented with virtual reality (VR) content, releasing Ragnarok VR as a tech demo.

MMORPG

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game, a genre of online games where a large number of players interact in a shared virtual world.

KOSDAQ

The Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, a stock exchange in South Korea that lists smaller and mid-sized companies.

NFT

Non-fungible token, a digital asset representing ownership of a unique item or piece of content, often used in blockchain-based games.