Krafton Passes Preliminary Listing Review: "Leading the Global Gaming Industry by Enhancing Corporate Value"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Krafton has passed the preliminary review for listing on the Korea Exchange. With the listing as an opportunity, the company plans to discover new business areas such as deep learning and entertainment, taking a step forward as a technology company.

According to the Korea Exchange on the 13th, Krafton's preliminary review for listing was approved on the 11th. The lead underwriter for the listing is Mirae Asset Securities, and the joint underwriters are NH Investment & Securities, Credit Suisse, Citigroup Global Markets Korea, and JP Morgan.

Krafton's over-the-counter market capitalization is approximately 24 trillion KRW, and there are even projections that the company's value could soar up to 30 trillion KRW after listing.

Krafton primarily operates in game development. Krafton's independent studios each possess competitive production capabilities in specific genres and develop various games.

In particular, the representative work, PUBG Studio's PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (hereafter Battlegrounds), has set records in seven categories in the Guinness World Records, including "the fastest Steam Early Access game to earn 100 million USD" since its release in 2017, and has sold over 70 million copies (including PC and console) to date, establishing itself as a global popular IP (intellectual property).

Released in 2018, Battlegrounds Mobile surpassed 1 billion global downloads in April of this year, its third year since launch, continuously expanding its fan base.

Krafton is also focusing its capabilities on developing and expanding new IPs, aiming to produce the upcoming titles "The Callisto Protocol" and the project named "COWBOY," as well as adapting author Lee Youngdo's works "The Bird That Drinks Tears" and "The Bird That Drinks Blood" into games and secondary creations.

Additionally, Krafton is steadily investing in technology and securing talent in deep learning and AI fields, including acquiring the messenger app "Between" and collaborating with AI startup VoyagerX.

Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han stated, "Through the KOSPI listing, we will enhance corporate value and continue to expand the content territory centered on games, establishing ourselves as a company leading innovation in the global game industry."