Kwon Hyuk-bin founded South Korean game company Smilegate in 2002 and built his fortune around the success of CrossFire, especially its expansion into China. [1][2]
From startup to CrossFire
Kwon founded Smilegate in 2002. The company began developing the online first-person shooter CrossFire in 2006, launched it in Korea in 2007 and entered China that same year through Tencent. Forbes identifies CrossFire as the title that turned Smilegate into one of South Korea's most successful gaming businesses. [1][2]
CrossFire's Chinese audience became unusually large. Smilegate's own history records one million concurrent users in China in 2008, 1.8 million in 2010 and four million in 2012. The company began direct publishing of CrossFire in China with Tencent in 2013. [2]
Before and beyond gaming
Forbes says Kwon's first business was an educational software venture that failed before he started Smilegate. It also notes that his Smilegate Foundation has supported schools in China and Vietnam, including programs that provide information-technology education. [1]
Sources for background
Sources reviewed Aug 28, 2026.
- Kwon Hyuk-bin · Forbes · Apr 13, 2026
- History · Smilegate
Comparable Media & Entertainment billionaires
Similar Media & Entertainment billionaires by estimated net worth.
