Krafton, the South Korean publisher behind PUBG, inZOI, and the upcoming Subnautica 2, revealed plans to become an “AI-first” company. CEO Kim Chang-han made the announcement during a live session titled “Transition to an AI-First Company: The Future of Work, Company, and Individual.” This marks a major turning point for Krafton, which plans to use AI to reshape game development and internal operations.

A New Direction for Krafton

The company plans to implement “Agentic AI,” a system that automates workflows and improves productivity across departments. Krafton will also build an AI-centered management system to handle complex problems more efficiently. The transition should complete by the second half of 2026, when most operations will rely on AI-linked workflows and a central management platform.

To support this initiative, Krafton will invest KRW 100 billion (MYR 330 million) to build an NVIDIA B300 GPU cluster. This infrastructure will handle complex tasks that require advanced reasoning and iterative planning. Krafton believes this investment will form the backbone of its AI-driven operations and ensure smooth automation of multi-stage processes across development and management.

Restructuring and Employee Training

Krafton will also reshape its HR policies to match the AI-first vision. The company plans to create an “AI Learning Hub” and invest around MYR 100 million annually to train employees in AI tools and workflows. Employees will share AI applications and explore creative uses of automation in their daily work.

Krafton intends to reinvest the time and resources saved through automation into new projects. The company says this could expand roles and create more opportunities for employees. The goal is to make teams more agile and innovative without replacing human creativity.

Industry Concerns and Controversies

Despite Krafton’s positive outlook, some developers and fans remain worried. Critics question how AI integration will affect creative roles and job stability. These concerns echo Krafton’s recent controversy, when it fired the co-founders of Subnautica 2. A lawsuit is still pending, further complicating the publisher’s reputation.

Krafton insists its AI-first strategy will enhance creativity and efficiency. However, critics warn that overreliance on automation may undermine human-driven design. The company now faces the challenge of balancing innovation with the human touch that defines truly great games.

You can read the whole announcement, by visiting their website here.