Krafton Q3 revenue rises on PUBG, but profit drops sharply

Krafton reported KRW 971.4 billion in revenue for the third quarter of 2026, up 11.6% year over year, but operating profit fell 35.5% to KRW 225 billion. The company also posted a KRW 68.4 billion net loss for the quarter.

For the first nine months of 2026, the picture looks stronger. Krafton said cumulative revenue reached KRW 3.633 trillion, up 51% year over year, while operating profit rose 14% to KRW 1.1975 trillion. Both were record highs for the company over that period.

PUBG remains the main driver. Krafton said cumulative revenue from the PUBG franchise was up 11% through Q3, with PUBG: Battlegrounds continuing to see double-digit monthly active user growth on PC and console. The game also added a Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration in September, while PUBG Mobile leaned on Naruto and Ferrari collaborations during the summer.

By platform, mobile brought in the most revenue at KRW 504.3 billion, up 3.2% year over year. PC revenue fell 32.5% to KRW 238.9 billion, while console revenue dropped 15.9% to KRW 8.6 billion. Krafton’s “other” revenue jumped to KRW 219.6 billion, largely thanks to advertising and content revenue from ADK Group.

The company pointed to gamescom and other business activities as factors behind the lower operating profit. It also approved a KRW 300 billion share buyback as part of its shareholder return plan.

On the games side, Krafton said PUBG: Playgrounds launched in August after user-generated content arrived on PC in late 2025. PUBG Mobile’s World of Wonder mode has also expanded with more licensed content and UGC monetization. BGMI Air, a lighter version aimed at emerging markets, has passed 14 million pre-registrations ahead of its December 10 launch.

Outside PUBG, Subnautica 2 has passed 5 million cumulative units sold worldwide, according to Krafton, and has 4.45 million Steam wishlists. A major Early Access 2.0 update is planned for the end of the year.