By Sagar V. Mankar Krafton, the developer behind global hits like PUBG: Battlegrounds, has announced ambitious plans to release multiple new titles in 2024.
According to Krafton CEO CH Kim, 2024 will be a “pivotal year” for the company’s “Scale-up the Creative” strategy of expanding their game development and publishing globally.
Launching New Games Every Year
At their recent corporate strategy meeting, Krafton reiterated their goal of launching new games annually across more than 20 development pipelines.
Some of the highlights for 2024 releases include:
- Dark and Darker Mobile – A mobile version of the upcoming hardcore looter shooter PC game Dark and Darker.
- inZOI – A brand new battle royale FPS game for mobile platforms.
- Dinkum Mobile – Bringing the popular crafting and farming game Dinkum to mobile devices.
- Project Black Budget – A currently unannounced new PC/console game.
- Subnautica Sequel – The next installment in the popular underwater exploration series.
Consolidating Capabilities for Faster Production
To meet the goal of yearly game launches, Krafton is evolving their internal structure to speed up development cycles from idea to launch.
CEO Kim called for consolidating the capabilities of Krafton’s teams and cultivating an environment where new games can swiftly reach players globally.
This involves enhancing their publishing units to be more responsive to gaming trends and empowering developers to take creative risks on innovative new IPs.
The end goal is to achieve agile development that can penetrate markets quickly.
Expanding the PUBG Universe
In addition to new games, Krafton aims to expand the PUBG: Battlegrounds universe through franchise development.
This includes growing the lineup of PUBG games for various platforms, increasing outsourcing to external studios, and long-term brand strategy.
Making PUBG a multimedia franchise allows Krafton to leverage the globally recognized battle royale IP to attract new players and make further inroads into international markets.
Krafton also aims to increase PUBG esports events and merchandising to make PUBG a lifestyle brand on par with Fortnite
Investing in India and Beyond
An important part of Krafton’s global growth plan is increased investment in key markets like India, where they aim to secure the top spot with mobile hit Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).
Expanded publishing and esports initiatives in India demonstrate Krafton’s commitment to dominating this crucial region.
AI and Deep Learning for Next-Gen Game Development
Finally, Krafton looks to leverage artificial intelligence and deep learning to enhance game development.
Advanced AI can improve production efficiency as well as enable more innovative and user-focused gameplay experiences.
Given Krafton’s existing leadership in AI research, the integration of deep learning into their game design process can be a true “game changer” as they scale up creativity in the coming years.