What MINTROCKET does

Mintrocket is a South Korea-based game development studio incorporated in November 2024 as an independent subsidiary of Nexon, headquartered in Pangyo, Seongnam. The studio develops and self-publishes premium indie games built around a hybrid gameplay architecture that pairs day-cycle underwater spearfishing/exploration with night-cycle restaurant/tycoon management — most visibly in its flagship title Dave the Diver. Under CEO Jaeho Hwang (황재호), the studio operates with a compact core team and leverages Nexon for publishing and distribution. The studio's product line now spans Dave the Diver (PC, console, mobile), its In the Jungle DLC, a cooking-sim prequel Bancho the Chef, and the Toho-licensed mobile title Godzilla Defense Force: X.

The underlying technology is a hand-authored, deterministic game engine design rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture: it is a unified creative product portfolio with proprietary dual-cycle gameplay, original art direction, and IP-driven content expansions (DLCs, collaboration DLCs with Godzilla and Yakuza/Like a Dragon, and merchandise such as the Collector's Edition and vinyl soundtrack). The company ships on six primary storefronts — Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Epic Games Store, and Xbox — plus iOS/Android mobile, and participates in Epic Games' Fortnite-cosmetics developer program.

Mintrocket's business model is predominantly premium one-time software sales across PC, console, and (initially) mobile, with adjacent hardware/merchandise revenue (collectibles, vinyl, coffee bundles) and partnership/licensing income (Toho/Godzilla, Epic, collaboration IP holders). Pricing is platform-set and not publicly disclosed; the studio is experimenting with a free-to-try conversion model for the upcoming global mobile release while maintaining premium pricing in China. Go-to-market is product-led and community-driven: organic social (X/Twitter, YouTube), Discord, and Nexon-hosted forums, amplified by cross-platform coverage and awards-cycle publicity (BAFTA Game Design 2024, Steam Awards, D.I.C.E., Golden Joystick, The Game Awards, Metacritic MUST-PLAY). End customers are individual consumer gamers globally, with no enterprise accounts or B2B segment.

Name

MINTROCKET

Legal name

(주)민트로켓 (Mintrocket Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://mintrock.et

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mintrocket is a South Korea-based, Nexon-owned game studio that develops and publishes premium indie titles — anchored by the BAFTA-winning hybrid ocean-adventure/tycoon game Dave the Diver — for global PC, console, and mobile consumers across six storefronts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Games (Indie/AA Adventure Simulation)

akta.pro primary industry

AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Indie game development
• Adventure video games
• Hybrid gameplay design
• Multi-platform game publishing
• Premium game studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Bundangdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: Premium game purchases across PC and console platforms. Original DAVE THE DIVER sold over 5 million copies. Base game plus DLC expansions.
2. Mobile Game (China): Mobile release in China as premium paid title, expanding to free-to-try model for global iOS/Android launch.
3. Merchandise: Physical merchandise including Collector's Edition, Deluxe Double Vinyl soundtrack, Figgyz collectibles, Madrinas coffee bundles, and FUNLAB merchandise.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MINTROCKET is a video game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes premium indie/AA games led by its flagship title DAVE THE DIVER, a hybrid ocean-adventure and sushi-restaurant tycoon game. The studio builds cross-platform games distributed via Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, Xbox, Epic Games Store, and mobile stores, and extends its IP through DLC expansions, prequels (Bancho the Chef), and licensed titles (Godzilla Defense Force: X).

Product overview

MINTROCKET is a game development studio (diving into the uncharted depths of fun) that operates as a single unified product portfolio focused on gaming experiences rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include: Dave the Diver (the flagship hybrid ocean adventure and sushi restaurant management game), its major expansion Dave the Diver - In the Jungle, Bancho the Chef (a cooking simulation RPG spin-off featuring a beloved character from the main game), and Godzilla Defense Force: X (a mobile monster-battling base-building game). Dave the Diver serves as the anchor IP, with Bancho the Chef acting as a prequel exploring a fan-favorite character's backstory. The studio spun off from Nexon as a full corporation in November 2024 and maintains a compact team of approximately 20 developers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DAVE THE DIVER Flagship hybrid ocean adventure and sushi-restaurant tycoon game in which players spearfish in the Blue Hole by day and run a sushi restaurant by night. Targets individual gaming enthusiasts seeking innovative multi-genre gameplay.
• DAVE THE DIVER - In the Jungle (DLC Content Pack) Major content expansion for DAVE THE DIVER that adds a freshwater biome, grill restaurant system, the village of Utara, and dinosaur-themed content for existing game owners across all major platforms.
• Bancho the Chef Cooking simulation and adventure game serving as a prequel/spin-off centered on Bancho from DAVE THE DIVER, in which players help locals across various cities, explore ingredients, and run a restaurant to satisfy customers. Targets fans of the franchise and cooking-sim enthusiasts.
• Godzilla Defense Force: X Mobile base-building and monster battle game featuring legendary monsters from 70 years of Godzilla history, developed by MINTROCKET under license from Toho. Players build bases, recruit citizens, battle monsters, and collect cards. Available on iOS and Android.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 million+ copies sold as of November 2024

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Toho (Godzilla IP)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 June 2026Godzilla Defense Force: X is a new game featuring legendary monsters from 70 years of Godzilla history. Developed by Mintrocket using the Godzilla IP under license from Toho.
• Epic GamesflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Epic Games Store developer program where players receive Fortnite cosmetics when purchasing games. Dave the Diver is listed as one of the collaboration partners. Epic projects over 100 partnerships per year through this program.
• miHoYominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Listed as collaboration partner in Epic Games Store developer program for 2026-2027 planned partnerships.
• Pearl AbyssminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Listed as collaboration partner in Epic Games Store developer program for 2026-2027 planned partnerships.
• S-GameminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Listed as collaboration partner in Epic Games Store developer program for 2026-2027 planned partnerships.
• Kakao GamesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Listed as collaboration partner in Epic Games Store developer program for 2026-2027 planned partnerships.
• NexonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Parent company. Nexon spun off Mintrocket into a full corporation in September 2024. Mintrocket operates as a subsidiary under Nexon. Nexon handles publishing and distribution.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Moon Studios: Developer of Ori and the Blind Forest / Will of the Wisps. Comparable premium indie studio with award-winning action-adventure titles across PC and console, also operated as a contracted external team within a larger publisher ecosystem.
• Team Cherry: Small Australian indie studio behind Hollow Knight. Comparable to Mintrocket as a compact premium indie that turned a breakout hit into a multi-year franchise with sequels and DLC on Switch/PC/console.
• Playdead: Danish indie studio behind Limbo and Inside. Comparable premium PC/console indie with BAFTA-recognized design and a small headcount producing multi-platform, art-driven adventure titles.
• ConcernedApe: Solo developer behind Stardew Valley. Comparable as a premium PC/console indie with a hybrid simulation/adventure formula that achieved multi-million unit sales and multi-platform expansion.
• Supergiant Games: Independent premium indie studio behind Hades and Bastion. Closely comparable as a small, award-winning PC/console studio known for genre-blending gameplay (roguelike + narrative) with multi-platform releases.
• Sabotage Studio: Canadian indie studio behind The Messenger and Sea of Stars. Comparable small premium studio with multi-platform PC/console releases blending genres and a sequel expansion strategy similar to Dave the Diver.
• Cardboard Computer: Indie studio behind Kentucky Route Zero. Comparable premium PC/console narrative adventure studio with episodic content releases and a small team footprint.
• Yacht Club Games: Indie studio behind Shovel Knight. Comparable as a small team producing premium multi-platform indie titles with extensive DLC and franchise expansion into merchandise.

Broad incumbents

• Devolver Digital: Larger indie publisher that publishes many premium indie games comparable to Dave the Diver. Not a direct competitor but the closest broad incumbent operating in the premium indie publishing/distribution space.

Others

• Toho (Godzilla IP holder): Licensor of the Godzilla IP used in Godzilla Defense Force: X. Relevant as the IP partner enabling one of Mintrocket's mobile titles, and as a comparable Japanese media/entertainment IP holder.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mintrocketgames
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mintrocket_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mintrocket-studio
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MINTROCKET