Krafton posts record quarter as PUBG and mobile drive growth
Krafton’s first quarter hit record revenue, and PUBG IP cleared KRW 1 trillion in a single quarter for the first time.
Krafton just put up the kind of quarter that reminds the games industry why aging mega-franchises still matter. The South Korean publisher reported record first-quarter revenue of KRW 1.3714 trillion and operating profit of KRW 561.6 billion, with PUBG IP franchise revenue crossing KRW 1 trillion in a single quarter for the first time.
The scale is hard to miss. Revenue rose 56.9 percent year over year, while operating profit climbed 22.8 percent. Mobile remained Krafton’s largest segment, bringing in KRW 702.7 billion, which shows how much the company still relies on phone-first play even as PUBG continues to anchor its identity on PC and console.
That balance between old and new is the real story of the quarter. Krafton has spent years stretching the PUBG brand across platforms, and the numbers show that strategy still works. PUBG PC, PUBG Mobile, BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA, and Peacekeeper Elite all sit inside the same revenue engine, giving Krafton a broader base than a one-game headline might suggest. CH Kim has pushed that idea as platformization, with the company’s 2026 plan centered on PUBG 2.0, user-generated content, and expansion into emerging and Western markets.
India stands out as the clearest proof point. Krafton said BGMI improved accessibility through server-capacity investments and a wider content lineup, which lifted paying users by 13 percent year over year. BGIS 2026 also recorded its highest-ever viewership, and separate reporting on Krafton India put the tournament above 600,000 peak concurrent viewers on YouTube, while BGMI esports surpassed 930 million views in 2025. For Krafton, that is not just community reach. It is a live-service business with serious regional weight.
The quarter also sits on top of a strong 2025. Krafton reported full-year revenue of KRW 3.3266 trillion and operating profit of KRW 1.0544 trillion, its first annual revenue total above KRW 3 trillion. The company said it had 15 new projects in development, including inZOI and Subnautica 2, signaling that PUBG’s cash flow is being used to fund a wider portfolio.
Krafton’s latest results show a publisher still powered by a single giant hit, but not trapped by it. PUBG remains the core, mobile supplies the scale, and the company is using both to build a business that looks far more durable than a lone battle royale.
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