AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - August 11, 2022 - KRAFTON, Inc. today shared its preliminary earnings announcement for the first half of 2022. The South Korean creators of the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS posted $729.5 million USD (946.7 billion KRW) in revenue during H1 2022 according to consolidated financial statements in accordance with the Korean International Financial Reporting Standard (K-IFRS). As a whole, H1 2022 revenue was up nearly 3% YoY and net profit was up nearly 31% YoY at $338.4 million USD (439.2 billion KRW), the highest half-year net profit the company has recorded to date. KRAFTON’s operating profit margin in H1 2022 was 50.1%. For additional H1 2022 and Q2 2022 earnings details, please see below:
SUMMARY OF H1 2022 EARNINGS DETAILS:
- Revenue: $729.5 million USD (946.7 billion KRW) (+2.86% YoY)
- Operating Profit: $365.4 million USD (474.2 billion KRW) (+18.15% YoY)
- Net Profit: $338.4 million USD (439.2 billion KRW) (+30.97% YoY)
SUMMARY OF Q2 2022 EARNINGS DETAILS:
- Revenue: $326.5 million USD (423.7 billion KRW) (-7.77% YoY)
- Operating Profit: $125 million USD (162.3 billion KRW) (-6.81% YoY)
- Net Profit: $149.4 million USD (194 billion KRW) (+37.26% YoY)
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
KRAFTON’s mobile business recorded revenue of $550.7 million USD (715.6 billion KRW) during H1 2022. Released four years ago, PUBG MOBILE currently ranks second in sales among global mobile games. The company continues to provide new content and fresh gameplay experiences through its multitude of IP collaborations. To ensure a fairer playing field for all, the game has also adopted stricter anti-cheat programs. KRAFTON’s other mobile title, NEW STATE MOBILE, has continued to evolve, refocusing the way it upkeeps live service and expanding its IP collaboration efforts. As a result, NEW STATE MOBILE’s total play time and play frequency increased in Q2 2022.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, which is available on PC and consoles, recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. The game, which transitioned to a free-to-play business model in January 2022, has seen a steady inflow of more than 80,000 new users per day. Accordingly, average revenue per user (ARPU) across all platforms increased more than 20% QoQ. International markets (outside South Korea) drove 94% of the game’s revenue during Q2 2022.
NEW GAMES FOR 2022 AND BEYOND
At gamescom 2022, which will be held late-August in Cologne, Germany, KRAFTON will formally reveal Unknown World’s new IP, which is set in a sci-fi world that features imaginative turn-based gameplay. Striking Distance Studios’ CEO Glen Schofield will also take the stage at gamescom Opening Night Live to share a new look at The Callisto Protocol, the upcoming next-generation survival horror game that is set to launch on Dec. 2, 2022.
Additionally, KRAFTON recently announced it has begun active development on an untitled game project based on the popular Korean fantasy novel, The Bird That Drinks Tears. The game’s official website also recently launched as the company ramps up efforts to recruit top tier global talent to help realize its ambitious vision. Alongside the website, new concept art and other details were also revealed to further illustrate the project’s overall visual identity and tone. To define this visual identity, the company is working with renowned concept artist Iain McCaig, who has been involved in early character visualizations for Star Wars characters, in addition to his work on many other blockbuster film franchises, such as The Avengers, Harry Potter and Terminator. By the end of 2022, KRAFTON plans to release an art book that highlights these visual R&D results from the past two years.
BREAKDOWN OF H1 2022 and Q2 2022 PERFORMANCE RELATIVE TO PREVIOUS PERIODS
| Earnings (H1 2022) |
Earnings (H1 2021) |
Variance (YoY) |
|
| Revenue | 9,467 | 9,203 | 2.86% |
| Operating Profit | 4,742 | 4,014 | 18.15% |
| Net Profit | 4,392 | 3,353 | 30.97% |
| Earnings (Q2 2022) |
Earnings (Q2 2021) |
Variance (YoY) |
|
| Revenue | 4,237 | 4,593 | -7.77% |
| Operating Profit | 1,623 | 1,742 | -6.81% |
| Net Profit | 1,940 | 1,413 | 37.26% |
▲ Table: KRAFTON’s 2Q22 (preliminary) earnings on a consolidated basis (unit: KRW100M)
For the latest information on KRAFTON, please visit www.krafton.com
KRAFTON, Inc. is a collective of independent game development studios brought together to create innovative and engaging entertainment experiences for gamers across the world. The company consists of PUBG Studios, Bluehole Studio, Striking Distance Studios, RisingWings, Dreamotion, Unknown Worlds and 5minlab, each with its own unique expertise.
KRAFTON is responsible for premier entertainment properties including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, NEW STATE MOBILE, The Callisto Protocol, TERA, and ELYON. As a technology-driven company that boasts world-class capabilities, KRAFTON seeks to expand its areas of business beyond games to multimedia entertainment and deep learning. For more information about KRAFTON, please visit https://www.krafton.com.