PUBG Mobile parent company Krafton acquires Subnautica developer Unknown World

Krafton Inc., famous for being the studio behind the incredibly popular PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds, has acquired Unknown Worlds Entertainment. Unknown Worlds gained prominence as an independent game development studio following Subnautica’s success. The sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero, has also garnered critical as well as commercial success.

Unknown Worlds Entertainment is the sixth studio to join Krafton’s stable of developers including PUBG Studios, Striking Distance Studios, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, and Dreamotion Inc.

According to Krafton’s recent press release, Unknown Worlds will continue to work independently after the acquisition and the studio’s “structure and leadership will remain in place to retain its unique creative identity.”

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Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds joins Krafton Inc.’s subsidiaries

Unknown Worlds was founded by Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire in May of 2001. Their first work was Natural Selection, a high-profile free mod for Half-Life which even had a commercial sequel later on.

However, the San Francisco-based game development studio gained commercial success with Subnautica (2018) garnering massive praise. Subnautica offers players a feeling of awe-inspiring exploration in the massive ocean of a mysterious alien planet. The game mixes exploration, narrative, and base-building into a masterful blend.

The sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero, only enhanced the successful formula of its predecessor. Now, with Krafton’s acquisition, it remains to be seen how the vision of the two companies will align in creating new games. Krafton released the following statement:

“With Unknown Worlds’ proven ability to create immersive experiences that resonate with gamers around the world, the latest acquisition plan will help Krafton expand its IP and diversify the company’s portfolio of groundbreaking games.”

“Unknown Worlds are incredibly skilled and passionate developers with an unparalleled gift for creativity and a proven track record of building successful player-driven worlds,” said Kim Chang-han, CEO of Krafton Inc. “Krafton will spare no effort in helping them. Not only do they enhance our development capabilities, but we share a goal of creating unique experiences for global audiences.”

“It was immediately apparent how closely Unknown Worlds and Krafton are aligned in the way we think about games and game development,” said Charlie Cleveland, CEO of Unknown Worlds. “Subnautica and PUBG both started humbly and evolved successfully through constant iteration and feedback. We want to bring new games to the world stage – and with Krafton, we’re a big step closer. We’re truly looking forward to our future together.”

Krafton’s press release mentioned a new project by Unknown Worlds which is slated to be released into early access in 2022.