Krafton (2007)
Global Pioneer of the Modern Battle Royale Phenomenon and Creator of PUBG
Founded in 2007 by Chang Byung-gyu under the name Bluehole, Krafton revolutionized contemporary gaming with PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG: Battlegrounds). By collaborating with genre innovator Brendan Greene, the studio formalized the 100-player survival deathmatch format into a multi-billion-dollar global cultural phenomenon.
From TERA to the Modern Survival Craze
Bluehole initially earned acclaim with its 2011 action-combat MMORPG TERA. Recognizing the burgeoning popularity of survival mods, the studio recruited Irish creator Brendan Greene as creative director, giving him the autonomy and Unreal Engine 4 resources required to build a dedicated standalone title.
PUBG and the Industry-Wide Battle Royale Shift
Debuting on Steam Early Access in March 2017, PUBG shattered digital records by achieving 3.25 million peak concurrent players. Selling over 75 million units on PC and consoles, it forced the entire video game industry—from Epic Games to Activision—to adopt battle royale modes, while its mobile port gained billions of downloads.