Krafton Inc. Acquires Subnautica and Natural Selection Developer Underground World Entertainment

The gaming industry is growing at a fast pace and as the industry grows many indie studios see the benefits of joining a larger conglomerate. Psyonix, which had been operating independently for a long time, ultimately opted to merge with Epic Games. Even more significant, the acquisition of studio behemoths like Bethesda by Microsoft has become nearly routine in these days

KRAFTON, Inc., revealed that it has acquired Unknown Worlds, the makers of Subnautica. KRAFTON is best known for the global success PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. The company's expansion strategy of acquiring and investing in top-tier talent who desires to evolve, innovate, and create new experiences is continuing with this newest choice. Unknown Worlds joins KRAFTON's stable of seasoned developers, including PUBG Studios, Striking Distance Studios, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, and Dreamotion, as the company's sixth independent studio.

Underground World Joined Krafton Subsidiaries            

Unknown Worlds will bring a wealth of experience to KRAFTON, as well as a long history of generating community-driven gameplay experiences. Natural Selection, a successful Half-Life mod that spawned a commercial sequel, was created by the firm founded by Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire in 2001. Following in the footsteps of its community-focused roots, the studio went on to release the critically acclaimed and commercially successful PC and console games Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero through early access prior to their official releases.  

Subnautica (2018), was a commercial triumph for the San Francisco-based game production firm. Subnautica immerses players in the awe-inspiring exploration of a mysterious alien planet's vast ocean. The game masterfully blends exploration, narrative, and base-building.

Subnautica: Below Zero, the sequel, only improved on the popular model of its predecessor. Now that Krafton has been acquired, it will be interesting to see how the two firms' visions for new games mesh.

"Unknown Worlds are highly talented and dedicated developers with an unrivalled gift for imagination and a track record of creating successful player-driven worlds," said Krafton Inc. CEO Kim Chang-Han. "Krafton is prepared to go to any extent to help them." They not only improve our development capabilities, but we also share the goal of delivering unique experiences for international audiences."

Unknown Worlds will continue to operate independently following the acquisition, according to Krafton's recent news release, and the studios "organization” and leadership will remain in place to keep its unique creative character."

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