Lies of P’s Success “Fundamentally” Changed The Company’s Approach, Says Neowiz Co-CEO

As AAA video games get increasingly expensive and complex to make, we’ve seen some breakout successes take the world by storm. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just blew the doors off the industry, starting discussions about small teams and development costs. And in 2024, the Pinochio-inspired Lies of P lit fire to the Soulslike, rivaling anything FromSoftware has done with the genre it created.

Lies of P may have inexplicably changed Soulslikes forever, but it also brought seismic changes to both the studio that made it, Round 8, and its publisher, Neowiz — so much so that it’s changed the company’s entire approach to making games. A sequel is currently in development, and there could be more on the way.

“If we can deliver a sequel that truly satisfies those who enjoyed the first game, we believe that the [Lies of P] franchise will naturally establish itself as one of Neowiz’s most important pillars,” Neowiz co-CEO Sean Kim tells Inverse. “We’re not too sure how many titles we can create with the Lies of P universe; however, the development team is working incredibly hard to make sure the fans who enjoyed Lies of P will not be disappointed.”

Across the industry, we’re seeing a changing landscape of development, a resurgence of single-player games, and more focused visions, a movement driven by games like Lies of P, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Clair Obscur. With that in mind, Inverse talked to Kim about the massive success of Lies of P, how it’s altered Neowiz’s trajectory, how the company cultivates talented developers, and where the Korean game industry is headed.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Lies of P has been a runaway success. How has that changed your approach to creating single-player games?

Kim: Lies of P was a pivotal title for us; it fundamentally reshaped our direction as a company. Before its development, much of our growth had been driven by mobile games, and we often focused on following market trends. But through preparing and launching Lies of P, we gained a much deeper understanding of what it means to build a franchise, nurture a community, and grow a passionate global fan base.

The game’s success proved that Neowiz’s development capabilities and publishing expertise can compete in the global PC and console space, and based on that confidence, we’re now committed to investing more aggressively in talented developers and partners around the world. Since then, our growth has shifted decisively toward premium PC and console titles. Lies of P didn’t just succeed as a game – it set the foundation for the long-term, large-scale IP experience we intend to build moving forward.

You now have tremendous expectations for Lies of P 2, which the game’s director, Choi Ji-won, has been open about. How are you managing those expectations and working with the team at Round 8 Studio?

Kim: As an in-house studio, we are working very closely with all the team members. And for us, the sequel to Lies of P isn’t just another game; it’s a core part of our long-term strategy to build a lasting franchise.

Round 8 Studio is made up of some of the most talented developers in Korea, who share a genuine passion for creating high-quality PC and console experiences. Our role as Neowiz is to ensure that the studio has the stability, resources, and environment to focus on its development. And meeting the expectations of the players who loved the first game is our priority.

If we can deliver a sequel that truly satisfies fans, we believe that the franchise will naturally establish itself as one of Neowiz’s most important pillars. We’re not too sure how many titles we can create with the Lies of P universe; however, the development team is working incredibly hard to make sure the fans who enjoyed Lies of P will not be disappointed.

Worldwide, the popularity of live service games has changed a lot. Why do you think it’s important to have a single-player experience like Lies of P? And how can big single-player games find success?

Kim: I believe single-player games still play a very important role in the industry. There are so many players, including myself, who enjoy experiencing a story at their own pace. And when a beloved franchise releases a new title, they naturally want to return to it. That desire hasn’t gone away, and in that sense, single-player experiences continue to hold a strong appeal for gamers.

From a business perspective, the landscape is quite different. Live service games have become massively popular when they succeed, but the risk is extremely high. A successful live service game occupies a huge amount of player time, which makes it difficult for new titles to break in and find an audience, but single-player games have a clear ending. So players naturally move on and are open to new titles.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. There are countless releases today, especially in the indie space, but the barrier to entry is comparatively lower. And as for what it takes to succeed, quality remains the number one factor. And just as importantly, developers need to be attentive to the community and understand what players love, what they’re worried about, and what they’re expecting. Communicating openly with players is becoming increasingly critical, especially in single-player games – the relationship with the community can make a meaningful difference.

We’ve seen a tremendous amount of AAA development worldwide, whether it’s Lies of P or Phantom Blade Zero from China. Can you provide some insights into how Korea’s development scene has changed in the push toward AAA?

Kim: The Asian industry is still operated by the mobile scene. But a lot of big studios, CEOs, and publishers are keen to develop PC and console games. They are trying new approaches because trends are changing. Chinese developers are moving a bit quicker than other countries into the PC and console space, because the mobile industry is getting more competitive.

In the Korean space, it’s true that with current mobile gaming industry trends, it is really hard to have our Korean mobile games appeal in the global market. So we’re seeing a lot of developers moving to PC and console, but it’s a gradual movement. It’s going to take some time, but it will positively affect the industry on a global scale. And when it comes to Neowiz, we are one of the most well-known PC and console developers in Korea, but we’re also seeing a lot of publishers and developers in Korea focusing more on indie titles these days, instead of AAA.

So, for example, with developers such as Wolfeye and Zakazane, we are very much looking forward to partnering up with a lot of talented Western studios – and we’re building a strong team in Europe on the development and investment side, so we can meet and talk to these developers, and we can help with their creative visions and deliver meaningful experiences.

I did want to ask about some of the smaller projects you’ve signed, like Shape of Dreams. Are these smaller games an important part of your vision?

Kim: We actually started our publishing business with an indie game, and that expertise grew into signing double-A deals. The size of the game is not the deciding factor. When we choose which games we want to partner up with, what matters most is whether the project has a clear identity — whether there’s a strong narrative voice or creative vision that stands out. And going after both indie and AA is our publisher style.

We do believe that indie style is meaningful to Neowiz, because smaller teams often bring fresh, original ideas to the table. When their IP is distinctive and full of potential, we think the scale becomes secondary to it, and that philosophy is why we actively invest in talented partners around the world.

You mentioned how expensive games have become to make, and the idea of sustainable development is something we see talked about a lot these days. As you push into more AAA games like Lies of P, how do you make sure development progresses smoothly, and it doesn’t become a bloated project?

Kim: This is a tough question. We’re focusing on how to make conservative investments based on our cash flow coming from our back catalog and multiple live service games. But we do believe that when it comes to individual projects taking a long time, it’s not really an issue. When it comes to a big project taking more time than expected, that could be an issue. The reason is usually either a directional issue or because of personnel changes.

So when it comes to Neowiz, even from the early stages, we like to spend a lot of time committing to the direction phase, and what kind of game we want to make. After that phase, when it comes to the management level, we don’t really have anything to say, because we fully trust the director’s vision and just give them time. We give full trust to the director’s choices after commitment to the direction. That’s how we see and manage AAA development.

Obviously, I’m not a developer; I’m on the business side. However, a lot of management believes that when you put a lot of personnel into the project, it’s going to get faster. But the truth is that without the right direction, it might take even more time with a lot of people. There’s always an adequate size for each project, and we focus on investing the right portion, depending on the project. It’s not actually a risk when it comes to development being delayed or not, as long as the team’s going in the right direction.