Kakao Corporation’s game division Kakao Game has signed a contract with Korean game developer Bluehole to publish PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in Korea.
Also known by the acronym PUBG, the PC based game has been a worldwide hit over the past few months and has sold over 7 million copies, despite still being in early access. Player numbers for the game have skyrocketed, with over 600,000 users joining servers simultaneously, and has brought in 100 million dollars in revenue, with 95% from overseas players.
Bluehole began developing the game last year with Chang-han Kim at the helm, who was a producer at Ginno Games until the company was acquired by Bluehole in 2015. The idea of the game itself is fairly simple, up to 100 players drop from a plane on an island and fight to stay alive — Battle Royale style. As you might have guessed, the last person remaining is the winner of the match.
Other modes such as Duo and Squads let you play with friends, or be automatically matched with other players. With the game’s current popularity, waiting for a match and joining a server only takes a matter of seconds. More recently, a first person perspective mode was added to North America, Europe and Asia servers, providing a more immersed experience and different style of game.
It will be interesting to see what an official Korean version of PUBG will bring to the table, as the title is already available in Korea via steam with a Korean translation. According to FN News, Kakao Games has said that it will keep the same paid model being used now, and anyone who has already bought the game will be able to continue to play it in the same way.
Leo Cho, CEO of Kakao Games commented on the deal. “I’m pleased that we’re able to bolster our PC lineup by becoming responsible for the Korean version of PUBG, a game that is very popular among gamers worldwide,” says Cho.
