On a consolidated basis, KRAFTON posted 2023 sales of 1,910.6B South Korean Won (£1,139M GBP), Operating Profit (OP) of 768B KRW (£458M GBP) and Net Profit (NP) of 594.1B KRW (£354M GBP) in accordance with the Korean International Financial Reporting Standards (K-IFRS). The company set record-high annual sales. Sales and OP climbed 3.1% YoY and 2.2% YoY, respectively, while NP rose 18.8% YoY. 4Q23 sales picked up 12.8% YoY to 534.6B KRW and OP firmed 30.3% YoY to 164.3B KRW.
Sales from PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on PC and consoles increased 37% YoY, and the Peak Concurrent Users (PCU) also spiked by 70% in December 2023 compared to the year’s lowest point. After resuming its services last year, BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA has quickly recovered both traffic and revenue, recording the largest monthly sales in December. KRAFTON analyzed that the result shows the robust growth prospects for the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS IP and demonstrates the expandability of KRAFTON’s business and game portfolio in the Indian market.
On Thursday’s conference call, the company also unveiled its new titles and mid to long-term direction. Starting 2024, KRAFTON plans to release new games every year in the coming years in line with its ‘Scale-up the Creative’ strategy. It introduced key lineup titles, including Dark and Darker Mobile, inZOI, Dinkum Mobile, Project Black Budget, and Subnautica 2. The company also announced that it has invested in more than ten projects as a second-party publisher. For the mid to long-term direction, KRAFTON announced it was franchising the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS IP, expanding independent publishing and growth in the Indian market, and increasing R&D investments in Artificial Intelligence, specifically Deep Learning.
CEO Kim concluded, “Having achieved stable performance last year, mainly through the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS IP, we were able to focus on securing multiple upcoming titles. We are now prepared to take a leap forward.” He added, “this year will mark the beginning of reaping the rewards from these efforts, reaching a pivotal milestone for KRAFTON’s step-by-step growth.”
| Earnings(4Q23) | Earnings(4Q22) | % chg(YoY) | |
| Sales | 5,346 | 4,738 | 12.8% |
| OP | 1,643 | 1,262 | 30.3% |
| Earnings(2023) | Earnings(2022) | % chg(YoY) | |
| Sales | 19,106 | 18,540 | 3.1% |
| OP | 7,680 | 7,516 | 2.2% |
| NP | 5,941 | 5,002 | 18.8% |
▲Table: KRAFTON’s 2023 (preliminary) earnings on a consolidated basis (unit: KRW100M)
Editor’s note: South Korean Won (KRW) to British Pound (GBP) conversions based on 7 February 2024 exchange rate for this press release.
Headquartered in South Korea, KRAFTON, Inc. is dedicated to discovering and publishing captivating games that offer fun and unique experiences. Established in 2007, KRAFTON is home to globally renowned developers that include PUBG STUDIOS, Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, VECTOR NORTH, Neon Giant, KRAFTON Montréal Studio, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, 5minlab, Dreamotion, ReLU Games and Flyway Games. Each studio strives to continuously take on new challenges and leverage innovative technologies. Their goal is to win over more fans by broadening KRAFTON’s platforms and services.
KRAFTON is responsible for premier entertainment properties, including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, PUBG MOBILE, The Callisto Protocol, NEW STATE MOBILE, Moonbreaker, Defense Derby and TERA. With a passionate and driven team across the globe, KRAFTON is a tech-forward company that possesses world-class capabilities and is set on expanding its business horizons to encompass multimedia entertainment and deep learning. For more information, visit www.krafton.com.