Seoul: Krafton Inc., a South Korean game publisher renowned for its popular game PUBG: Battlegrounds, announced that its first-quarter net profit increased by nearly 40 percent compared to the previous year. This growth was attributed to the robust performance of its leading shooter title.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Krafton's net profit for the January-March period reached 514.1 billion won (US$346.7 million), marking a 38.4 percent increase from 371.5 billion won in the same period last year, as reported in a regulatory filing. The company's earnings exceeded market expectations, with analysts estimating an average net profit of 336.2 billion won, based on a survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax, a financial data firm affiliated with Yonhap News Agency.

The company's operating income also saw a significant rise, increasing by 22.8 percent year-on-year to a record 561.6 billion won. Additionally, sales soared by 56.9 percent, reaching a record 1.37 trillion won. Krafton attributed this sharp increase in first-quarter earnings to the strong performance of its PUBG franchise, which experienced a 24 percent rise in sales to over 1 trillion won. Collaboration with luxury car brand Aston Martin further bolstered the quarterly sales.

Breaking it down by segments, the mobile division's sales surged by 32 percent year-on-year, totaling 702.7 billion won. Meanwhile, the PC division experienced a 12.5 percent increase, reaching 363.9 billion won. Looking ahead, Krafton plans to accelerate the global expansion of its PUBG franchise by enhancing user-generated content on its platform and intensifying marketing efforts in emerging markets.