Krafton Marks India, Acquires Local Game Company 'Nautilus Mobile'

Krafton is accelerating its entry into the Indian market by acquiring a local game company. This is the first time Krafton has gone beyond discovering and investing in Indian companies to make an acquisition.

According to Krafton on the 28th, Krafton India has secured management rights by acquiring a stake in the Indian mobile game developer 'Nautilus Mobile' for $13.75 million (20.2 billion KRW). Nautilus Mobile owns the 'Real Cricket' series, a leading Indian mobile game that has surpassed 250 million cumulative downloads. The company has established a dominant position in the Indian cricket game market, including signing an official partnership with teams from the Indian cricket pro league, the 'Indian Premier League.'

Krafton marked the Indian market as a future growth engine by launching 'Battlegrounds Mobile India' (BGMI) in 2021. BGMI has attracted 180 million cumulative users and recorded up to 24 million concurrent viewers in e-sports, gaining popularity locally. Through this acquisition, Krafton plans to create synergy by combining Nautilus Mobile’s expertise in sports game development with Krafton’s global capabilities and technology, and expand its business into the global market. Additionally, Krafton intends to foster the game development ecosystem by creating new jobs and supporting local game developers.

Previously, in February 2022, Krafton invested $5.4 million (6.5 billion KRW) in Nautilus Mobile. This was Krafton’s first investment targeting an India-based game developer. Krafton has also invested in Indian companies such as the e-sports company 'Nodwin Gaming,' the game streaming platform 'Loco,' and the web novel serialization platform 'Nasadiya Technology.'

Anuj Mankar, CEO of Nautilus Mobile, said, "Based on Krafton’s global competitiveness and strong network, we plan to further elevate the status of Real Cricket and explore new opportunities in the global market."

Son Hyun-il, CEO of Krafton India, said, "This acquisition is part of Krafton’s long-term vision to nurture India as a global game development hub. Based on close cooperation, we will provide world-class gaming experiences that resonate with and are supported by users in India and around the world."

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