SEOUL, Feb 13, 2026, 08:08 KST
- Krafton’s pushing “physical AI” as a play for the long haul—think beyond software, reaching into the world of humanoid robots.
- PUBG’s creator notched an all-time high for 2025 revenue at 3.3266 trillion won, but profit edged down.
- The company has announced a three-year plan for shareholder returns, introducing its inaugural cash dividend alongside stock buybacks.
Krafton is looking into taking the artificial intelligence developed in its games and applying it to humanoid robots, something it’s calling “physical AI”—AI capable of operating outside a virtual setting, according to a report from South Korea’s Kookmin Ilbo. The company pointed to in-game play and interaction data as “enormous value” for training and building out new business lines. Korean Minjok Leadership Academy
South Korea’s big game companies are closing the books on the year, and the hunt for new hits is on. Krafton reported 2025 revenue jumped 22.8% to 3.3266 trillion won, breaking the 3 trillion won mark for the first time. Operating profit reached 1.0544 trillion won.
Krafton, much like Nexon and Netmarble, keeps relying on its established IP to drive revenue. Still, “PUBG alone” offers only “limited” upside, according to Hanwha Investment & Securities analyst Kim So-hye. What matters now, she said, is “clarifying” when Subnautica 2 will launch. Hani
Krafton’s latest investor presentation, according to GameDeveloper.com, laid out what it calls a “long-shot approach” to AI—kicking off inside its games, but with ambitions that reach toward “Humanoid Robotics” down the line. The company pointed to in-game data as “high-quality training data” for its AI efforts and flagged a broader push to embed AI-driven automation across internal operations. Game Developer
Krafton is projecting mobile revenue at roughly 1.7 trillion won for 2025, while PC is pegged at 1.2 trillion won. Console? Just 42.8 billion won. Net profit took a 43.7% dive to 733.7 billion won, with the company pointing to investments in PUBG and developer funding as factors. Right now, 15 new games are in development, Krafton said.
After holding off on dividends for years, the company is now upping the ante for shareholders. It’s aiming to distribute more than 1 trillion won between 2026 and 2028 via a mix of cash dividends and share buybacks, according to STN News. Those repurchased shares will be cancelled, trimming the overall share count. Chief Executive Kim Chang-han called the initiative a clear sign of the firm’s commitment to boosting shareholder value.
Krafton’s board has signed off on its first-ever cash dividend, Chosun reported, tying the move to a three-year shareholder return plan valued at over 1 trillion won.
Krafton’s looking to stretch PUBG’s profits, planning an upgrade to Unreal Engine 5 and putting more weight behind user-generated content. There’s also a fresh push into “AI for Games,” and down the line, the company says it might take “Game for AI” further, possibly into physical AI. Mergers and acquisitions are on the table too, as Krafton tries to secure new franchises. The Tribune
Still, those robot ambitions are nowhere close to becoming an actual product, and for now, the main business lives and dies by its hits. Any stumble in the pipeline or another jump in expenses, and it’s the familiar story: PUBG keeps the lights on, but real growth demands another smash success.
Krafton slipped 0.39% to 258,000 won at Thursday’s close, according to MarketScreener data, giving back a sliver after tacking on roughly 5.7% across the last five sessions.
Krafton hasn’t given a schedule for its robotics plans yet. For now, what’s on investors’ minds: when the next slate of games, particularly Subnautica 2, actually drops and how those initial numbers look. Until then, the market’s not ready to value anything outside gaming.
