Krafton said on the 19th that it will expand its in-house development studios from 16 to 19. The move is aimed at securing new intellectual property (IP) to follow up its flagship title PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).
Krafton's new creative studios established last year or slated to launch this year include 9B STUDIO, OmniCraft Labs, Loonshot Games, and Olivetree Games.
Nine B Studio, led by CEO Kim Sung-hoon, a former deputy head of HYBE IM, is set to be incorporated this year. Nine B Studio is preparing a new title that emphasizes immersion. OmniCraft Labs, under the direction of Noh Jeong-hwan, former vice president of Nexon Korea, plans to develop games across a variety of platforms and genres.
Bae Hyeong-uk, who oversaw the expansion of the Cookie Run IP franchise at Devsisters, will head Loonshot Games and lead development of a new subculture mobile game. Loonshot Games also plans to incorporate within the first half of this year.
Olivetree Games, which plans to incorporate within this year, will be led by CEO Lee Chang-myeong, who spearheaded development of the "Anipang" series at Wemade Play. Olivetree Games will focus on creating social, casual, and puzzle games that anyone can enjoy.
Krafton will push ahead with new game development by operating small, unit-level teams centered on new production leadership with hit-making experience. New titles will validate marketability by starting in markets with clear core fan bases, and projects that prove performance will be expanded step by step and nurtured into franchise IPs.
Last year, Krafton announced "securing major franchise IP" as its mid- to long-term strategy, and to strengthen its in-house production capabilities, it recruited 15 key production leaders over the past year and began establishing new studios. A company official said, "We are currently running a total of 26 new-title pipelines, and our goal is to launch 12 new titles over the next two years."