NCSOFT Reviews

3.5

59% would recommend to a friend

(337 total reviews)
avatar

Songyee Yoon

14% approve of CEO

42% positive business outlook

NCSOFT has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 337 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The NCSOFT employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

337 reviews
2.0
26 Sept 2018

No logic, no communication

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

This was the best group of people I've ever worked with. Everyone put their heart and soul into each days' work and it really showed. Together we grew and made some amazing things.

Cons

Nobody knows what the hell is going on upstairs. Nothing passed down to us made sense. Either management wasn't telling it to us straight, or they simply had no information (I suspect mostly the latter, though don't doubt some of the former). The incredibly talented team at Carbine was put through the wringer over and over to meet expectations that were not clarified. There were 'failures' that were given no explanation as to why exactly it was perceived as a failure. Where the team achieved great success with the impossible demands over and over, the goons up above looming over the Approve Button wouldn’t be able to find a sofa in their own living room with a map, Siri, and road signs, let alone a great game. The team delivered on EVERYTHING that was asked of them and more. It seems clear as things have been changing that NCSoft is moving into a more publisher-only realm with little interest in putting money into studios to develop their own content. You'll see them scavenging GDC looking for great ideas that have been independently funded that they'll eat up and take credit for. Seller beware, your greenlight process from here on out will just be a series of red lights at intersection after intersection with no one else on the road but you. Look out for the cliff at the end of it. And oh yes, the offboarding fiasco. What an embarrassment. Trying to be 'hip,' the NCSoft's portal webpage is skinned as an RPG experience. After being laid off, you have to go through this circus, which lists your Unemployment Benefits under a category called "Loot," and agreements you have to sign before receiving your severance are called "Quests" you have to complete. A little NCSoft robot mascot comes on screen to seemingly taunt you with a 'thank you' for working there and good luck on your next adventure.

2.0
19 Sept 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Knowledgeable co-workers Good benefits Flexible working hours Competitive salary Get to work in the game industry

Cons

Awful leadership. 3 words can describe it: JUST PLAIN AWFUL The CEO surrounds herself with Yes-Men and never emerges from her Ivory Tower. Management will routinely lie to you HR will force managers to "re-calibrate down" employee reviews during the annual performance review period because "there are too many 4's and 5's" The bonus program is horrible. It's quite laughable. The CEO lives within her own echo chamber The products are all old, live MMO games with no roadmap schedule for new, cutting edge releases. Korea runs the show; you will do and implement what they tell you to do. To make matters worse, most of the best Koreans at HQ have left the company already, so you are left with the fodder. Work isn't particularly challenging, so there's lots of time to goof off, watch Netflix, or play other people's games. The mobile team in San Mateo is beyond horrible. They are going on 4 years now and have never released even 1 mobile game.

1.0
27 Aug 2016

Don't bother. Seriously.

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You will do minimal work and still get by. There is opportunity for promotion due to attrition. Unfortunately, the promotions often times will not make any sense.

Cons

Most of the directors and above are useless. Only a few hard working folks keep the games running while management squanders budget on unnecessary travel and benefiting their friends. A lot of people are unbelievably really bad at their jobs, including directors and above. No clear direction of the company at all. No vision. No strategy. No hope. HR is a joke.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 337 Reviews

Glassdoor has 372 NCSOFT reviews submitted anonymously by NCSOFT employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if NCSOFT is right for you.