Krafton said on the 29th that, boosted by the success of its flagship intellectual property (IP) "PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS" and the new title "Subnautica 2," both revenue and operating profit hit a record high for the first half. It said it plans to expand the user-generated content (UGC) ecosystem while growing new IP to secure next-generation growth engines.
Krafton said first-half 2026 cumulative revenue came to 2.6616 trillion won, with operating profit of 972.5 billion won. The figures rose 73.3% and 38.3%, respectively, from a year earlier. Second-quarter consolidation revenue was 1.2902 trillion won and operating profit was 410.9 billion won, up 94.9% and 67.0%, respectively, marking the best second-quarter performance on record. By platform, revenue was ▲PC 924.2 billion won ▲mobile 1.1537 trillion won ▲console 37.7 billion won ▲others 546.0 billion won.
On PC, high-quality BATTLEGROUNDS modes such as "Xenopoint" and "Payday" drove user acquisition and engagement. With the added boost from the launch of Subnautica 2, second-quarter PC platform revenue topped 500 billion won for the first time. The console segment also saw second-quarter revenue jump 143% from a year earlier on the back of Subnautica 2's success.
Chief Executive Kim Chang-han of Krafton said on the second-quarter earnings conference call, "We once again confirmed the structural effect in which making content into a platform drives user and revenue growth." He added, "Xenopoint showed positive user metrics and there have been many requests to make it a permanent mode, so we are developing a follow-up," and "In the second half of this year, we plan to introduce two new high-quality modes."
On mobile, the company will further expand the already built UGC ecosystem. Since BATTLEGROUNDS Mobile introduced "World of Wonder (WOW)" in 2023, creator maps and user participation have steadily increased, growing the UGC ecosystem. Going forward, it will advance creation tools and expand UGC leveraging global IP such as "Naruto" and "Spider-Man." It will also introduce a new currency, "WOW Token," to strengthen the creator compensation system. The plan is to build a virtuous cycle in which more creators lead to more content and more user play.
Chief Financial Officer Bae Dong-geun said, "WOW Token was designed with a virtuous cycle in mind where map creators can generate revenue within their own maps," adding, "Monetization is still in its early stages, so our top priorities are expanding the creator ecosystem and increasing user time spent rather than short-term revenue growth." He added, "We plan to operate it separately from the tokens used in the existing battle royale mode."
Subnautica 2 surpassed 5 million cumulative copies sold 22 days after its early access launch. Including Subnautica 2, the Subnautica IP—such as the existing titles "Subnautica" and "Subnautica: Below Zero"—posted first-half revenue of 232.5 billion won. Krafton plans to improve the game's completeness to ensure stable service through official launch while nurturing Subnautica as a long-term franchise IP.
Kim said, "Over the next roughly two years, we will focus on expanding the global fandom," adding, "While Subnautica 1 has surpassed 12 million cumulative users, currently half of Subnautica 2 users are new users who have not played Subnautica 1." He said, "We will expand the global fandom as much as possible before the official launch, and afterward we plan to further grow the IP through franchising and external expansion."
Krafton will unveil five new titles at Gamescom in Germany in Aug., targeting release in 2027. Alongside a new project based on the PUBG IP, it will reveal five new titles: ▲NORO ▲Project Zeta ▲Age Twister ▲Tara: Unbound. The company plans to continually secure new IP and expand its franchises.
Kim said, "Krafton has built multiple franchise growth pillars through PUBG and Subnautica," adding, "We will continue to secure new franchise IP based on a repeatable growth system that discovers, validates, and expands IP."
The company will also grow physical AI as a mid- to long-term new business. It will apply data accumulated during game development to world models and robotics technologies while pursuing both in-house investment and external fundraising. Krafton signed a memorandum of understanding in Mar. last year with Hanwha Aerospace for joint technology development in physical AI and the establishment of a joint venture.