Odaily News Tencent Holdings Ltd. is studying a potential deal to acquire South Korean game company Nexon, and has contacted the family of Nexon's late founder Kim Jong-joo to discuss the possibility of an acquisition, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The Kim family is reportedly discussing and evaluating various options with advisers. People familiar with the matter said it is unclear how willing NXC is to sell its stake in Nexon, and there is no guarantee that Tencent's negotiations will lead to a deal, and the specific transaction structure has not yet been finalized. A Tencent representative did not respond to a request for comment, and both Nexon and NXC declined to comment. It is reported that Nexon, which is famous for role-playing games such as MapleStory, was founded in 1994 and completed the largest technology IPO in Japan at the time in 2011. Its Tokyo-listed shares have risen more than 10% this year, with a market value of approximately $15 billion. Tencent tried unsuccessfully to acquire Nexon in 2019, and the two had jointly developed Tencent's important revenue-generating game Dungeon & Warriors.