[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] KRAFTON(259960)achieved record-high cumulative revenue and operating profit through the third quarter of this year. The growth momentum of "PUBG: Battlegrounds" was bolstered by strong sales of the new title "Subnautica 2." However, looking at the third quarter alone, operating profit fell 36% year-over-year, and the company posted a net loss due to factors such as foreign exchange losses.

KRAFTON announced on the 10th that it recorded consolidated revenue of 971.4 billion won and operating profit of 225.0 billion won for the third quarter. Cumulative revenue for the first through third quarters totaled 3.633 trillion won, while cumulative operating profit reached 1.1975 trillion won. These figures represent increases of 51% and 14%, respectively, compared to the same period last year, with both metrics hitting all-time highs on a cumulative third-quarter basis. Cumulative operating profit amounts to 114% of last year’s full-year operating profit.

Quarterly performance showed some slowdown. Third-quarter operating profit decreased by 36% year-over-year. Marketing expenses reached 65 billion won, partly due to participation in Gamescom, while costs related to game production and the consolidation of the ADK Group were also factored in. The company recorded a net loss of 68.4 billion won after posting a non-operating loss of 305.8 billion won, primarily due to foreign exchange losses resulting from the weak U.S. dollar.

Third-quarter revenue by business segment totaled 504.3 billion won for mobile, 238.9 billion won for PC, 8.6 billion won for console, and 219.6 billion won for other segments. PC revenue fell 33% year-over-year, primarily due to a decline in paid content sales. In contrast, mobile revenue rose 3%, driven by collaborations such as those with “Naruto” and “Ferrari.” “Other” revenue included 198.4 billion won generated by the ADK Group’s advertising and content businesses.

Cumulative revenue for the PUBG franchise, the company’s core business, increased by 11% year-over-year through the third quarter of this year. According to the company, the monthly active user (MAU) count for *PUBG* on PC and console also continued to grow at a double-digit rate. KRAFTON is expanding user-generated content (UGC) features that allow players to create their own game content and is preparing a major update to coincide with the 10th anniversary of *PUBG*’s launch in 2027.

“Subnautica 2,” which launched in Early Access last May, has sold over 5 million copies to date. Subnautica 2 has received a 91% positive user rating on Steam. KRAFTON plans to continue preparations for the game’s official release following a major update at the end of the year.

“PUBG: DED . NET,” a new Western console shooter set in the PUBG universe, is on track for a 2027 release, incorporating feedback from user testing.

In the field of artificial intelligence (AI), the company introduced a preview version of “Raon 1 Mini,” a small-scale large language model (LLM) developed in-house. KRAFTON explained that it has confirmed the model’s competitiveness in areas such as Korean language processing and inference efficiency. Going forward, the company plans to develop AI models that understand the characteristics of games and expand its technology to include larger-scale models and real-time voice conversation models.

The company is also expanding its shareholder returns. At this board meeting, KRAFTON decided to acquire an additional 300 billion won worth of treasury stock and cancel the entire amount. Combining the cancellation of existing treasury stock, reduced dividends, and the plan for additional acquisitions and cancellations, this year’s total shareholder returns amount to 917.2 billion won.