PUBG Corporation, the studio behind PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG), has officially merged with its parent company, Krafton, Inc. and will operate under a new name — PUBG Studio.
The newly branded PUBG Studio will continue to provide global support for PUBG and PUBG MOBILE in ‘select countries’, per a release. The studio will also focus on expanding the PUBG franchise into esports and entertainment mediums.
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Krafton is a South Korean video game holding company that operates an independent studio system. The company has also consolidated its subsidiary studios PNIX, Inc. (Archery King) and Delusion Studio, Inc. (Castle Burn) into a new entity called Rising Wings.
According to the company, Krafton’s independent studio system seeks to empower its development teams with the autonomy to build their own unique identities and pursue their own creative visions. The system now includes four total studios including PUBG Studio, Striking Distance Studios, Bluehole Studio, and RisingWings.
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PUBG, the game responsible for kicking off the battle royale craze, has gone through ups and downs in 2020. The mobile version has spawned a number of professional leagues and competitions but was also banned by the Indian Government — which also happened to be the country with the most game downloads.
Esports Insider says: Krafton didn’t give a reason for changing PUBG “Corporation” to “Studio,” although the latter term does imply a more creative outlet as opposed to a powerful, overseeing business entity. It will be interesting to see how the merger affects its growing esports scene and also what entertainment avenues the company takes.