Krafton revealed its earnings for the primary half and second quarter of 2024 throughout an earnings name on August 12. As a part of this name, the South Korean firm highlighted its concentrate on India and its future plans, which embody new video games and IPs. Right here is the whole lot it’s worthwhile to know.
PUBG: Battlegrounds stays the cornerstone of Krafton’s success, driving continued gross sales and participant visitors development. The corporate additionally plans to put money into sport studios to develop new IPs whereas having its unique titles within the pipeline. The latest acquisition consists of the Tokyo-based sport studio Tango Gameworks and its ‘Hello-Fi Rush’ IP, which Krafton acquired from Xbox.
Krafton’s Give attention to India
India is a key area for Krafton, with a powerful concentrate on participating cell avid gamers via localised content material for Battlegrounds Cellular India (BGMI). Moreover, Krafton plans to launch Cookie Run in India, with localisation tailor-made to the nation.
Esports is one other main focus space, with Krafton aiming to spice up gamer engagement via numerous BGMI tournaments.
In an interview with Mint earlier this month, CH Kim, world CEO of Krafton, revealed that India ranks among the many prime 5 markets contributing to Krafton’s world efficiency. With its expansive market and rising curiosity in esports, India has the potential to grow to be Krafton’s largest market sooner or later.
Krafton has invested a considerable $170 million within the Indian gaming sector, exceeding its investments in every other area worldwide. The corporate plans to take a position an extra $150 million in Indian gaming, together with funding content material corporations and startups via partnerships and acquisitions.
Since 2021, Krafton has invested in 27 firms and included AI into its new video games. It plans to launch extra titles that leverage superior AI applied sciences.
In 2023, Krafton launched the Krafton India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) to assist rising Indian sport builders in creating progressive new video games. The 2024 cohorts of KIGI embody Nagaland-based ReDimension Video games and Bengaluru-based Shura Video games.
New Krafton Video games
Within the first half of 2024, Krafton’s milestones embody a 40% year-on-year enhance in month-to-month lively customers on PC and console. The variety of paying customers has greater than doubled, and the corporate plans to drive additional development with new in-game updates. On the cell entrance, Krafton has seen optimistic development in visitors and gross sales, bolstered by collaborations, localised content material, and optimistic suggestions for PUBG Cellular and BGMI.
Krafton can be increasing its portfolio with new titles corresponding to Darkish and Darker Cellular, set for a world launch in This fall 2024, and inZOI, each these titles can be showcased at Gamescom in Germany later this August. The life simulation sport inZOI is anticipated to enter early entry this yr.
Trying forward, Krafton is concentrated on discovering unique video games and IPs whereas increasing the PUBG IP franchise enterprise.
Diving Into the Numbers
Within the first half of 2024, Krafton reported gross sales of 1.3729 trillion Korean received (KRW) with an working revenue of 642.6 billion KRW. This represents a year-on-year enhance of 48.3% in gross sales and 55% in revenue.
For the second quarter of 2024, Krafton had gross sales of 707 billion KRW and an working revenue of 332.1 billion KRW. Gross sales rose by 82.7%, whereas revenue jumped by 152.6% year-over-year.
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Rayan Sayyed is a employees author for IGN India with a main concentrate on Asian leisure spanning from anime, manga, video games to movies and dramas from the East. You possibly can attain out to him at rayan_sayyed@ign.com, or discover him on Twitter @rayanaver and Instagram @rayansayyed.