Subnautica 2 and PUBG bolster Krafton’s Q2 revenue
Krafton has reached record second-quarter growth thanks to revenue rising to ₩1.29 trillion ($889.1 million), which amounts to 94.9 percent.
Per a press release, the company attributes the growth to the success of Subnautica 2, developed by subsidiary Unknown Worlds, which surpassed five million units sold within 22 days, as well as the PUBG franchise.
Operating profit also rose 67 percent to ₩410.9 billion ($283.1 million). First-half revenue for the Subnautica franchise, including Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero, reached ₩232.5 billion ($160.2 million). Meanwhile, PUBG revenue rose 25 percent year-over-year.
The financial report is notable, as it comes weeks after Krafton and Unknown Worlds founders settled a long-running legal dispute surrounding Subnautica 2. The parent company agreed to dismiss all pending legal proceedings with its subsidiary, as well as pay bonuses to the entire staff who worked on the game. Meanwhile, CEO Ted Gill mutually agreed to part ways, saying that new leadership is the “best way for the studio to move forward.”
Now, the company seems bullish on growing its portfolio, saying that it will unveil five new titles targeting release by 2027 during this year’s edition of Gamescom. The slate will include a new project based on the PUBG IP, along with No Law, Project ZETA, Age Twisters, and Tarae: The Unbound.
Yet, the company has still seen recent tumult. In November of last year, Krafton outlined plans to transform into an “AI First” company, days before initiating a voluntary resignation program. The latter followed yet another “record high” quarterly revenue.
Since then, along with touting evaluations about how its game tech may be applied to “physical AI and robotics,” Krafton invested $1 billion into a South Korean defense company partnered with the U.S. navy. When it comes to PUBG specifically, the company shut down spin-off PUBG Blindspot after merely two months in early access.
