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

South Korean gaming giant Krafton, known for its popular titles like PUBG: Battlegrounds and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), has acquired a controlling stake in Indian gaming studio Nautilus Mobile for $14 million (Rs 118 crore). This marks Krafton's first controlling investment in India.
Nautilus Mobile, based in Pune, is best known for its widely popular Real Cricket franchise, which has garnered millions of downloads globally. The studio will continue to operate independently, with all 45 employees remaining on its payroll. JetSynthesys, the previous majority stakeholder, will retain a significant minority stake and continue collaborating with Nautilus Mobile, particularly in the esports domain.

According to a report by TechCrunch, the company has acquired “north of 75% stake” in Nautilus. Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of Krafton India, emphasized the strategic importance of this acquisition stating, "This move aligns with our long-term vision of making India a global hub for game development. With Nautilus Mobile's expertise in cricket games and Krafton's global resources, we aim to elevate the Real Cricket franchise and explore new gaming genres."
“Our development capability in Nautilus will help Krafton double down on its India gaming strategy, and together, we can probably build more games, more genres, both for the Indian market and global market going forward,” Nautilus CEO Anuj Mankar told TechCrunch.
The acquisition is expected to enhance Nautilus Mobile's capabilities, enabling the studio to refine its existing titles and expand its reach to other cricket-playing nations.
In 2020, JetSynthesys, an Indian digital entertainment and technology company, acquired full ownership of Nautilus Mobile. This was later followed by a $5.4 million strategic investment from Krafton in 2022.
Speaking to TechCrunch, Sohn explained that Nautilus' promising potential had initially attracted Krafton's investment. However, their position as a minority stakeholder restricted their ability to fully support the studio's content development. Acquiring a controlling stake, he noted, would enable closer collaboration and deeper involvement in Nautilus' core development initiatives.