Krafton Inc. has invested in 10 overseas game developers in 2024 as the South Korean company hunts for a successor to its blockbuster “PUBG: Battlegrounds.”
The gaming giant acquired a 29.62% stake in Poland’s Antistatic Studios for 4.7 billion won ($3.2 million), according to industry sources. Antistatic was founded by developers who previously worked on hit titles “Cyberpunk 2077” and “BioShock.”
Krafton also became a major shareholder in US-based Varacious Games, investing 4.6 billion won. Varacious is known for “Potionomics,” which ranked as the second-highest-grossing game on Steam.
The company invested between 2 billion and 12 billion won in each studio, securing stakes ranging from 15% to 29%. Most targets were startups founded by veteran developers with successful track records.
This aggressive overseas investment strategy contrasts with other Korean publishers that typically develop titles in-house. Industry insiders note that Krafton’s strong financial position—with 2024 revenue of 2.71 trillion won and operating profit of 1.18 trillion won—has facilitated these moves.
Despite its financial strength, Krafton remains heavily dependent on PUBG-related titles, which account for over 80% of revenue. The company plans to invest up to 1.5 trillion won over five years in acquiring and developing new franchises after its recent release “The Callisto Protocol” underperformed commercially.
