Krafton presents its results for the year 2022 and discusses some big projects


Side big money, Krafton has not exploded the house but shows suitable results. If turnover is down slightly with 1.36 billion euros (against 1.37 billion euros), operating profit shows a solid 555 million euros (against 466 million euros). But what Krafton has gained above all else in 2022 is experience. First by giving new impetus to the good old PUBG thanks to the change of economic model in favor of free-to-play (it was in January), then by releasing worldwide a first blockbuster intended for consoles and PC (it was in December). So of course, The Callisto Protocol didn’t turn into a bang, but Krafton may learn from it in its quest to become a successful publisher for all markets and platforms.

Tighter control of studios

Besides, even though Krafton swears that sales The Callisto Protocol are “in line with expectations“, it is probably no coincidence that management is already announcing a change in philosophy from 2023. While its studios have so far enjoyed great autonomy during production, the group’s headquarters now intends to collaborate more closely with them, ensuring more rigorous supervision of games in development based on a number of criteria, including the results of internal tests. In addition to games from its own studios, Krafton also aims to expand its editor capabilities by unearthing rare gems at an early stage.

Krafton then revealed a preview of four major projects in the works. The first is none other than the next game from PUBG Studios, Project BlackBudgetwhose ambition is to popularize the open world PvPvE shooter and extraction game genre thanks to the experience acquired during years on PUBG. Not the slightest visual for this project, which is probably still very little advanced, and whose platforms are yet to be determined, even if the objective seems to be to play on all fronts (consoles, PC, mobiles).

The second is the next Subnautica in the works at Unknown Worlds, a studio that Krafton acquired in October 2021. Nothing more than further confirmation that the studio is indeed working on a successor to its popular aquatic exploration and survival game, in addition to the strategic parenthesis he opened with the more discreet Moonbreaker. For this new Subnautica, we can already expect larger maps but also richer in creatures and interactions.

Project GoldRush is aimed at Western audiences and is set in the open-world action-adventure genre. A JvPcE game-service with immediate handling that can be played alone or in cooperation, a sandbox intended for the younger generation with a strong identity and new features. In short, a game that is already bringing plenty of nuggets into the imagination of shareholders, as its code name suggests.

Another major studio in Montreal

Finally, under the name of Project Windless there is a project that Krafton has already talked about, namely the adaptation of the fantasy novel cycle The Bird That Drinks Tears. What we now know is that this AAA title has been entrusted to the brand new Krafton Montreal studio, whose team includes former Ubisoft (like all the other studios in the city). In the credits of this Unreal Engine 5 project still at the concept stage, studio head Patrik Méthé, producer Benoit Frappier and director Frédéric Duroc, who have all worked on the Far Cry franchise in particular, and artistic director Kwang Jae Son ( TERA). Patience, the team does not even have 10 employees yet and is aiming for 150 hires over the next three years. “Our goal is to create a game where storytelling and gameplay blend seamlessly, while pushing the boundaries of innovation in the gaming industry.“, can we read.



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