Krafton, the publisher behind PUBG and Subnautica to name a few, revealed its plans to focus on first-party IP that’s original and creative in the coming years, looking for the next “Big Franchise IP,” as it was called at Krafton Live Talk.
This plan was announced at Krafton Live Talk, or KLT, which is essentially a company brief about plans for the future. The plan is titled “Krafton’s Next 5 Years: Franchise IP.”
Of course, investing in “Big Franchise IP” isn’t something that will happen immediately. These are mid-to-long-term plans made with the 14 creative studios under Krafton in mind (including Tango Gameworks, the developers of Hi-Fi Rush, which Krafton acquired last year).
The plan comes in three parts: investing in first-party production, publishing more frequently and more widely, and revamping how it manages studios.
The first stage in the plan means investing more in those creative studios that are under Krafton. The goal is to improve the processes that lead to first-party game production. These include attracting talented employees, enhancing the pipeline for game releases, and specializing the development capabilities of each.
Together, the plan is to create Big Franchise IP that can be scaled and have the most potential for long-term success.
The second stage of the plan means focusing on quantity as much as quality when it comes to publishing IP. Krafton wants to look into second-party publishing and licensing to help diversify. This also means publishing across all platforms, including PC, consoles, and mobile.
While focusing on new IP, the publisher still plans to work on the core Franchise IPs it already has (such as PUBG).
The last part of the plan is focused on managing studios better. A large part of this is allocating resources in a more impactful way that spans the entire development lifecycle. This way, Krafton can’t leave any IP potential on the table.
CH Kim, Krafton’s CEO, said this:
“Our new titles will officially launch starting this year. We are fully committed to securing a new ‘Big Franchise IP’ that will build on the success of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. By following this step-by-step growth approach, we aim to drive exponential growth in corporate value.”
Several highly-anticipated Krafton First-Party IP are coming this year. Life sim inZOI’s Early Access is set to release in just two months. Subnautica 2 is planned for 2025, as well.
