Krafton, the South Korean publisher best known for PUBG, inZoi, and the upcoming Subnautica 2, has officially announced that it is transforming into an “AI-first company.” The major organizational shift was confirmed by Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han during a recent keynote presentation titled “Transition to an AI-First Company: The Future of Work, Company, and Individual.” The initiative marks one of the boldest moves by a major game publisher toward artificial intelligence-driven management and operations.
According to Kim, Krafton’s long-term goal is to integrate artificial intelligence across every department, from production and management to creative development. “Starting today, Krafton will automate workflows around agentic AI and implement a full AI-centered management system,” the CEO stated. The company aims to use AI for solving complex internal challenges, streamlining production pipelines, and improving company-wide efficiency.
Krafton’s Massive AI Investment and Timeline
Krafton’s shift to an AI-first infrastructure comes with a KRW 100 billion (approx. $72 million USD) investment to build an NVIDIA B300 GPU cluster, which will serve as the backbone for AI-driven operations. The system will power what Krafton calls “multi-stage reasoning and iterative planning,” allowing its AI models to perform sophisticated tasks previously handled manually.
Beyond infrastructure, Krafton has announced plans to invest KRW 30 billion annually from 2026 onward to train its workforce through an internal “AI Learning Hub.” The hub will serve as a knowledge-sharing space where employees can develop, test, and exchange AI applications that could enhance their workflows.
By late 2026, Krafton expects its transformation to be complete, encompassing a fully AI-linked workflow, an agentic AI management platform, and a standardized data ecosystem across all its studios and departments.
Restructuring HR and Culture Around AI
To “internalize” the shift, Krafton will restructure its human resources policies and employee management systems around AI. The company aims to establish an “AI-first culture” by the end of 2025, reorganizing its HR framework to rely on automation and data analytics for hiring, performance evaluations, and project assignments.
While Krafton’s official statement emphasized that the company will “reinvest the time and resources freed up by AI into product innovation and employee mobility,” critics within the gaming community have expressed concerns. Many fear that a heavy reliance on AI could result in job reductions or the devaluation of creative roles in favor of machine-optimized productivity.
Krafton’s Controversial Year
This announcement comes during a turbulent period for Krafton. In July 2025, the company made headlines for firing the co-founders of Unknown Worlds, the studio developing Subnautica 2. The dismissal sparked a $250 million lawsuit, with the co-founders accusing Krafton of terminating their contracts to avoid payout obligations. Krafton responded by claiming the move was made “for the sake of Subnautica 2’s quality.”
With Subnautica 2 still in development and inZoi nearing release, Krafton’s pivot toward AI marks a defining moment for the publisher — one that could reshape not only its own internal structure but potentially influence how the wider gaming industry approaches artificial intelligence.
As the publisher continues down its AI-driven path, fans and industry watchers alike are waiting to see whether Krafton’s “AI-first” vision will lead to innovation — or controversy — in the years ahead.