ANN/THE KOREA HERALD – Krafton, the South Korean gaming giant behind PUBG: Battlegrounds, posted record-breaking results for the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, driven by high demand for its flagship game and increased investments in artificial intelligence (AI).
The company reported Q3 revenue of KRW719.3 billion (USD516.18 million) and an operating profit of KRW324.4 billion, marking year-over-year growth of 59.7 per cent and 71.4 per cent, respectively. This brings Krafton’s total revenue for the first Q3 to a record KRW2.092 trillion. PUBG continued to attract players with new updates and features, including a July collaboration with Lamborghini that led to the highest single-item sales in the game’s history.
Other updates, such as the Hungers Left Behind game mode and enhancements to the Taego map, helped push the game’s peak concurrent players to 890,000, the highest since the game’s transition to a free-to-play model. On mobile, Krafton saw strong sales driven by themed game modes and improvements to its monetisation approach.
Krafton is actively working to diversify its line-up with new games across a range of genres and platforms. Upcoming titles include inZOI, Dark and Darker Mobile, Subnautica 2, Project ARC, and Dinkum Together. Project ARC and Dinkum Together will be shown for the first time at G-Star, a major upcoming industry event in Korea.
The Krafton title Battlegrounds Mobile India continues to gain traction in the Indian market. To attract more users, the company has localised the game with support for regional languages and has hosted large-scale esports tournaments in the country. Krafton also plans to launch a localised version of the popular game Cookie Run in India, developed in partnership with DevSisters, set for release by the end of the year.
Krafton has invested heavily in AI. The company has now begun implementing these AI tools in its games. For example, inZOI features an AI-powered ‘3D printer’ function that allows players to customise in-game assets.
Krafton is also developing a new type of interactive character, called a ‘Co-Playable Character’, that can respond to players in real time more dynamically, and in a more human-like way, than traditional NPCs. Krafton plans to introduce this technology in PUBG and inZOI as part of its broader AI strategy.
