The Entertainment Software Association Welcomes KRAFTON as Newest Member

Video game developer and publisher KRAFTON joins U.S. trade association

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) today welcomes video game publisher KRAFTON, Inc. as its newest member. Based in Seoul, South Korea, KRAFTON represents a collective of video game studios, including PUBG STUDIOS, Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, 5minlab and Dreamotion.

“We are excited to welcome KRAFTON as the ESA’s newest member at a time when the industry’s impact on people, culture and the economy continues to grow,” ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said. “We look forward to working with the many talented people at KRAFTON to leverage their perspectives and expertise in our work to promote the positive impact of the video game industry here in the U.S. and around the world.”

KRAFTON has established itself as a leader in the expanding global market, developing and publishing new games for PC, console and mobile devices. Since 2007, KRAFTON and its subsidiaries have brought a variety of new games to market globally. This includes the recent launch of The Callisto Protocol—a new survival horror game from Striking Distance Studios—and the Early Access release of Moonbreaker from Unknown Worlds. Additionally, KRAFTON successfully transitioned its popular battle royale game, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, to free-to-play in 2022 and recently celebrated the first anniversary of NEW STATE MOBILE, the mobile battle royale game available on Android and iOS devices.

“The ESA has a long-standing reputation within the video game industry of protecting intellectual property and working closely with its members to share one unified voice across a multitude of complex scenarios,” said Rafael Lim, Global Head of Publishing at KRAFTON. “By joining this association, KRAFTON is committed to growing alongside the ESA and the rest of its members as we aim to create meaningful and positive experiences within the video game industry in 2023 and beyond.”

The ESA advocates on behalf of the video game industry to U.S. policymakers on a variety of important matters such as First Amendment rights, intellectual property protection, and digital and international trade, among other public policy issues. The ESA is a founding member of the Global Video Game Coalition (GVGC), which aims to raise awareness internationally about the positive impact of video game play on players of all ages. The GVGC also promotes the industry’s long-standing commitment to responsible game play.

About the ESA

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) serves as the voice and advocate for the U.S. video game industry. Its members are the innovators, creators, publishers and business leaders that are reimagining entertainment and transforming how we interact, learn, connect and play. The ESA works to expand and protect the dynamic marketplace for video games through innovative and engaging initiatives that showcase the positive impact of video games on people, culture and the economy. For more information, visit the ESA’s website or follow the ESA on Twitter @theESA.

About KRAFTON

KRAFTON, Inc. is a collective of independent game development studios brought together to create innovative and engaging entertainment experiences for gamers across the world. The company consists of PUBG STUDIOS, Bluehole Studio, Striking Distance Studios, RisingWings, Dreamotion, Unknown Worlds and 5minlab, each with its own unique expertise.

KRAFTON is responsible for premier entertainment properties including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, NEW STATE MOBILE, The Callisto Protocol, Moonbreaker, TERA, and ELYON. As a technology-driven company that boasts world-class capabilities, KRAFTON seeks to expand its areas of business beyond games to multimedia entertainment and deep learning. For more information about KRAFTON, please visit https://www.krafton.com.

Contacts

Aubrey Quinn

703.609.1902

aquinn@theesa.com