PUBG and Subnautica writer Krafton has fully-acquired indie studio Eleventh Hour Video games for an preliminary consideration of $96 million.
A Krafton spokesperson mentioned the fully-remote studio will proceed to function below its current management and organizational construction whereas sustaining artistic autonomy. Krafton will present the studio with publishing and live-service assets.
Eleventh Hour has been engaged on an ARPG referred to as Final Epoch since 2017. The studio beforehand secured a low-equity funding from Chinese language conglomerate Tencent Video games in 2022, however will now be becoming a member of Krafton’s roster of inner studios.
“Eleventh Hour Video games is becoming a member of Krafton, the powerhouse behind PUBG, who shares our ardour for the motion ARPG style and is able to assist gasoline our efforts in elevating Final Epoch to new heights,” reads a discussion board put up from Eleventh Hour founder Judd Cobler. “With this partnership we can have the chance and assets to execute on our aim of making the easiest ARPG within the style.”
Cobler mentioned Final Epoch is now loved by “tens of millions” however claimed the studio should aggressively increase in an effort to understand its imaginative and prescient for the title. With that in thoughts, he mentioned Eleventh Hour had been vetting potential companions over the previous 12 months and in the end selected to affix forces with Krafton.
“Krafton clearly demonstrated that they are aligned in serving to us obtain our objectives and may each allow and information us via among the largest upcoming challenges we’ll face as a studio. This partnership will permit us to ship issues we have solely dreamed of beforehand and I’m excited to share particulars on these at a later date,” he added.
Eleventh Hour intends to bolster its growth crew below the Krafton umbrella and mentioned the transfer has secured the way forward for the Final Epoch franchise.
Krafton’s newest acquisition comes amid authorized battle with Unknown Worlds founders
It is unclear whether or not the deal contains vital earnout clauses much like those that landed Krafton in a authorized battle with Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds’ former management crew, who not too long ago took authorized motion towards Krafton after claiming they had been ousted by the writer so it might keep away from paying a hefty $250 million bonus tied to the profitable early entry launch of Subnautica 2.
Krafton, for its half, has refuted these allegations and as an alternative claimed Unknown Worlds’ three co-founders downed instruments after it acquired the studio. The corporate additionally denied that Subnautica 2 is primed for an early entry launch.
The South Korean conglomerate has made a string of notable investments and acquisitions lately. The corporate bought Tango Gameworks and the Hello-Fi Rush franchise from Microsoft in 2024 after the Japanese studio was marked for demise by its former proprietor.
Later that 12 months, Krafton led a $11.3 million funding into Eschatology Leisure to assist the Cypriot studio develop a Souls-like shooter and set up a publishing crew.
In its fiscal report for the 12 months ended December 2024, the corporate outlined plans to find and safe a “huge franchise IP” and mentioned it will be making “aggressive” investments into its manufacturing capabilities.
