PUBG maker Krafton buys 75% stake in Indian gaming studio Nautilus Mobile for Rs 118 crore

South Korean gaming company Krafton, known for its popular titles PUBG: Battlegrounds and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), has acquired a controlling stake in Indian gaming studio Nautilus Mobile for Rs 118 crore, or about $14 million. 

This is Krafton's first time taking majority control of an Indian studio. The deal gives the company more than 75% ownership in Nautilus, which is based in Pune and famous for the Real Cricket series.

JetSynthesys, which had previously held the majority, keeps the remaining stake.  

Details of the acquisition  

Nautilus Mobile, founded by CEO Anuj Mankar, has about 45 employees who will remain on its payroll. The studio's Real Cricket franchise has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times and has built a large community in India and abroad.

In 2020, JetSynthesys acquired full ownership of Nautilus Mobile, and a year later, Krafton made a strategic investment of $5.4 million in the studio. However, Krafton India's Corporate Development Lead Nihansh Bhat told Moneycontrol that owning only a minority stake limited their ability to fully support Nautilus' game development.

By acquiring a majority stake, the South Korean company plans to work more closely with Nautilus, improve the Real Cricket brand, and explore new genres.

"Krafton’s innovative capabilities will add great value to our highly talented team, led by Anuj Mankar, enabling JetSynthesys to further leverage this strength to build the e-cricket esports ecosystem in India, for India and the world, in the process scaling the already established GEPL (Global eCricket Premier League) to greater heights," said Rajan Navani, founder of JetSynthesys. 

Nautilus' growth and plans ahead  

Nautilus Mobile has a range of titles under the Real Cricket banner, including Real Cricket 24, Real Cricket 22, Real Cricket Swipe, Real Cricket GO, and older titles such as Real Cricket Premier League.

So far, the series has reached more than 350 million downloads. The studio also collaborates with sports organizations and major Indian Premier League teams, making in-game experiences more authentic for players.

After the deal, Nautilus expects to strengthen its team and broaden its partnerships. With Krafton's help, it also plans to delve into other game genres, although, for the immediate future, it will focus on growing Real Cricket in India and around the world.  

A deeper push into India's gaming market  

India is one of the fastest-growing markets for mobile, PC, and console games, with revenue forecast to exceed $1 billion by 2025 and reach $1.4 billion by 2028, according to market research firm Niko Partners.

Krafton has been steadily ramping up its presence in India, investing more than $200 million in various Indian startups since 2021. The company's portfolio extends to many local ventures in interactive entertainment, gaming, esports, and technology, including Lila Games, Nodwin Gaming, Pratilipi, Kuku FM, One Impression, and Cashfree Payments.