This undated photo shows Nexon’s headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times file

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against Korean game maker Nexon in a lawsuit over its alleged deceptive practices regarding in-game items, marking the first ruling of its kind.

The top court ordered Nexon’s branch in Korea to return 5 percent of the 11 million won ($7,882) the plaintiff spent on purchasing in-game items for the gaming company’s flagship title, MapleStory, upholding the decision of the appellate court upheld.

In 2021, Nexon was found to have changed the probability of randomized items for MapleStory to the detriment of users without notifying them.

This is the first Supreme Court ruling on the suspected manipulation of the chance of receiving in-game items by local gaming companies.

Following the ruling, Nexon said it will “do its best to provide better gaming services to its customers and restore users’ trust.”

The company also said it has accepted the Korea Consumer Agency’s mediation in class action lawsuits filed by its users seeking compensation in similar cases.

Earlier this year, the Fair Trade Commission imposed a record 11.6 billion won fine on Nexon over the case. (Yonhap)