Neople’s labor union has escalated its ongoing labor dispute, announcing an indefinite extension of its strike. What began as a three-day work stoppage is now a five-day strike, marking the first major labor action since collective bargaining talks broke down. The walkout is expected to heavily disrupt core projects, including Dungeon & Fighter and Dungeon & Fighter Mobile, according to an article by ThisIsGame.

Union representatives say the strike will not end until Neople discloses and institutionalizes a transparent compensation system. They allege that employees with identical job classifications and performance grades often receive dramatically different bonuses, fueling suspicion that personal relationships with management outweigh actual work performance. The union claims that despite repeated requests, the company has refused to reveal how performance pay is calculated, leading to planned legal action to force disclosure and standardization.

The dispute has been further inflamed by accusations that management cut hundreds of billions of won, around ₩200 billion KRW (about $144 million USD), or roughly 30 percent, of the promised Growth Incentive (GI) budget for the Dungeon & Fighter Mobile project while awarding ₩27.5 billion KRW (about $19.8 million USD) to just three executives, reportedly ten times more than in 2023. Union officials say these moves have damaged morale and risk lowering service quality for players.

Despite the labor unrest, Neople announced on July 31 that it will distribute a second round of GI bonuses worth approximately ₩60 billion KRW (about $43.2 million USD) to employees credited with the successful Chinese launch of Dungeon & Fighter Mobile. Around 400 development team members will receive an average payout equal to 200 percent of their annual salary, while top-graded staff will receive over 300 percent. This is the second of four scheduled GI payouts over the next two years. The first, issued in February, reportedly exceeded ₩100 billion KRW (about $72 million USD), with over half the team receiving bonuses equal to 300 percent of annual salary. According to Neople, combining the first and second payments means the average developer will receive more than 500 percent of their yearly pay.

Neople maintains that its GI system rewards new project teams with a percentage of post-launch profits, while a separate KI system pays bonuses from operating profits to other teams. The company says it will work to stabilize services and minimize disruption for players during the strike.

Negotiations between labor and management are set to resume on August 1 at the company’s request. The union says it remains open to dialogue but will not compromise on demands for direct distribution of operating profits.