H1 sales reach 2.66 trillion won, operating profit 972.5 billion won

PUBG IP first-half sales up 25% on-year

Subnautica 2 sells 5 million copies after early access launch

Krafton's headquarters. [Krafton]
Krafton's headquarters. [Krafton]

Krafton posted record first-half sales and operating profit on a half-year basis.

Krafton announced Wednesday that it recorded sales of 2.66 trillion won ($1.82 billion) and operating profit of 972.5 billion won in the first half of this year, up 73.3 percent and 38.3 percent, respectively, from the same period a year earlier. Both figures set all-time highs on a half-year and second-quarter basis.

The company attributed the growth to strong performance from its PUBG franchise intellectual property and new title Subnautica 2. PUBG IP franchise sales in the first half rose 25 percent year on year. Subnautica 2, which launched in early access in May, surpassed 5 million copies sold within 22 days.

By business segment, first-half sales broke down as follows: PC at 924.2 billion won, mobile at 1.15 trillion won, console at 37.7 billion won, and other at 546 billion won.

Krafton said PC platform sales exceeded 500 billion won in the second quarter for the first time. The company credited user engagement driven by "Battlegrounds" modes such as Genopoint and PAYDAY, along with the launch performance of Subnautica 2.

Console platform growth was led by Subnautica 2. Second-quarter console sales surged 143 percent year on year following the game's release.

On the mobile platform, both Battlegrounds Mobile and Battlegrounds Mobile India posted solid growth, driven by the new X-Suit "Phoenixtra," which set a record for single-day sales.

Krafton said it plans to continue releasing high-quality modes for the PUBG IP franchise in the second half of the year and expand collaborations beyond automobiles and K-pop to global animation. On the mobile side, the company will expand its existing user-generated content (UGC) ecosystem by upgrading its creation tools and broadening UGC built around global IPs such as Naruto and Spider-Man. A new in-game currency, the Wow Token, will also widen opportunities for in-map purchases and creator rewards.

Krafton also said the Subnautica IP recorded first-half sales of 232.5 billion won. The figure encompasses revenue from Subnautica 2 as well as the original Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. The company plans to maintain stable service through to the full launch and develop the Subnautica IP into a franchise property.

Krafton also plans to unveil five new titles at Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, in August, with all targeting release by 2027. The titles to be revealed are: a new PUBG IP-based project being shown for the first time, NO LAW, Project ZETA, Age Twisters, and Tarae: Unbound.

Krafton said it is also carrying out shareholder return measures, including treasury share cancellations. Earlier this year, the company acquired 300 billion won worth of treasury shares in the first half and completed a capital reduction dividend of 99.6 billion won. It also canceled 336.2 billion won worth of treasury shares — combining newly acquired and previously held shares — and decided to cancel treasury shares acquired in the second quarter as well.

Including second-quarter acquisitions, the total value of treasury shares to be canceled comes to 431.5 billion won. The company also decided to acquire an additional 100 billion won in treasury shares in the third quarter and cancel all of them.


chami@heraldcorp.com