Krafton Q3 Operating Profit 140.3 Billion KRW... "Continued Inflow of New PUBG Users" (Comprehensive)

PC Division Sales Reach 131.1 Billion KRW, Highest Quarterly Figure Since 2019

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Krafton continued its solid performance by recording an operating profit of 140.3 billion KRW in the third quarter of 2022.

Krafton announced on the 10th that it posted sales of 433.8 billion KRW and an operating profit of 140.3 billion KRW in the third quarter. Net profit for the period was 226.4 billion KRW.

Third-quarter sales decreased by 16.9% compared to the same period last year, and operating profit declined by 28.2% during the same period. Net profit increased by 27% year-on-year.

Although both sales and operating profit decreased compared to the previous year, the operating profit margin relative to sales was a respectable 32%.

In the third quarter, sales in the PC and console segments maintained growth due to steady traffic trends and continuous new user inflow for Battlegrounds following its transition to free-to-play. The PC segment rose 48% from the previous quarter to 131.1 billion KRW, achieving the highest quarterly sales level since 2019.

This was influenced by the popularity of newly introduced content through updates to Battlegrounds, which increased traffic in North America and Western regions. The console segment also grew 22% quarter-on-quarter and 133% year-on-year.

The mobile segment recorded 282.4 billion KRW, down 12% from the previous quarter and 26% year-on-year. Krafton plans to continue targeting users by securing low-spec device users through build optimization for new user acquisition, as well as collaborations with top-tier soccer players and supercars. Additionally, the company is making ongoing efforts to resume the suspended service of Battlegrounds Mobile in India and is contributing to market growth through investments in the Indian gaming market.

A Krafton representative explained, "Despite the overall market size shrinking due to global economic uncertainties, we achieved stable quarterly results by continuously implementing platform, service, and region-specific strategies that meet gamers' expectations."

Meanwhile, Krafton is preparing to release its new title, 'The Callisto Protocol,' on December 2. Krafton stated that as the Korean game company servicing the largest number of console games and based on its console development and service capabilities accumulated in the global market, it is raising expectations in the global gaming market.

Furthermore, Krafton plans to expand its intellectual property (IP) through mergers and acquisitions and the establishment of new studios. Previously, it announced the acquisition of Neon Giant, a Swedish studio that developed the action shooter RPG game ‘The Ascent.’ Additionally, Krafton is pushing forward with the establishment of a Canadian studio alongside global development personnel responsible for ‘Project Windless’ from ‘The Bird That Drinks Tears,’ recently recruited, and plans to actively begin developing games offering new experiences.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.