BGMI Paying Users Jump 27% YoY as Krafton Hits Record Revenue

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) recorded a 27% year-over-year (YoY) rise in paying users in 2025. The growth positioned the title as a key monetization driver in Krafton’s record financial year (FY). The South Korean publisher reported revenue of ₩3.3266 trillion (~$2.28 billion USD) and an operating profit of ₩1.0544T (~$721M), marking the first time it has crossed the ₩3T (~$2.05B) threshold.

Annual revenue rose 22.8% YoY, fueled primarily by the PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) franchise performance across mobile and PC.

Mobile remained Krafton’s largest revenue segment at ₩1.7407T (~$1.19B), followed by ₩1.1846T (~$810M) from PC and ₩42.8B (~$29M) from console. Additional revenue of ₩358.5B ($245M) came from other businesses, including ADK Group and Neptune, driving a 963% YoY increase in that category.

Fourth-quarter (Q4) revenue reached ₩919.7B (~$629M), while operating profit stood at ₩2.4B (~$1.64M) after a one-time ₩81.6B (~$55.85M) labor welfare expense linked to headquarters relocation.

BGMI Paying Users Growth Anchors PUBG Mobile Expansion

Krafton stated that paying users rose 5% in PUBG Mobile and 27% in BGMI, reflecting India’s growing contribution to franchise monetization. As per the statement, BGMI also maintained stable performance, reinforcing its position in India through localized content such as exclusive skins, customized premium items, and partnerships with domestic brands.

The company also attributed mobile growth to themed modes, user-generated content updates, and cross-platform collaborations across the PUBG ecosystem.

On PC, PUBG: Battlegrounds delivered its highest annual revenue, rising 16% YoY. Engagement increased as cultural elements were integrated into gameplay through major collaborations with global artists and luxury brands. Among them, a Porsche partnership delivered the strongest supercar collaboration performance in the franchise’s history. 

Meanwhile, Q4 PC revenue reached ₩287.4B (~$196M), up 24.4% YoY.

New titles Inzoi and Mimesis also supported earnings, each surpassing 1M units sold following their 2025 launches.

Krafton mentioned that it is expanding franchise intellectual property (IP) with long product life cycles, while advancing its AI-first strategy. The publisher has 15 projects in development, with Palworld Mobile, Subnautica 2, Dinkum Together, and No Law planned as part of its pipeline expansion.

The company also announced a shareholder return program totaling ₩1T (~$684M), combining ₩300B (~$205M) in dividends and at least ₩700B (~$479M) in share buybacks. The initiative begins with a ₩200B (~$136M) share repurchase on Feb 10, 2026.

BGMI’s paying user growth underscores India’s increasing strategic weight in Krafton’s global revenue structure.