PUBG Mobile developer Krafton invests 164 crore in Nodwin Gaming, Indian esports - Android

South Korean video game holding company and developers of PUBG Mobile, Krafton Inc, has just invested a whopping $22.4 million, or INR 164 crore, into Indian esports and gaming company, Nodwin Gaming. While PUBG Mobile is still banned in India, Krafton still want to have a presence in the country which once consisted of a major percentage of their playerbase. Nodwin Gaming is the largest esports firm in India and a subsidiary of Nazara.

Nodwin has worked with the likes of Blizzard Entertainment, Valve, Riot Games, and ESL in the past to host tournaments, provide commentary, produce content, and more. They recently also expanded to Africa, in a bid to grow in international markets as well.

Krafton and Nodwin have worked with each other in the past as well, considering Nodwin are the go to when it comes to hosting tourneys in the country. Both companies announced that they will be working together to hold two PUBG Mobile tournaments in Asia.

“Esports will be a key pillar to the growth of sports entertainment in the future. It sits at a wonderful intersection of sports, entertainment and technology where nations such as India can pave the path. With Krafton coming on board, we have an endorsement from the mecca of gaming and esports — South Korea — on what we are building from India for the world based on our competence in mobile first markets,” said Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of Nodwin Gaming.

Krafton recently announced PUBG New State for Android and iOS devices, however, the game did not release in India. It was also discovered that the official website contained Hindi code, which suggested that the game might release in India. However, Krafton's focus at the moment is to bring PUBG Mobile back to India. It has already taken steps towards this, by announcing that it had cut ties with Chinese publishher Tencent. 

“Krafton is excited to partner with Nodwin Gaming to help foster the promising esports ecosystem and engage with our fans and players in India. Taking the momentum from this partnership, we will explore additional investment opportunities in the region to uphold our commitment and dedication in cultivating the local video game, esports, entertainment, and tech industries,” said Changhan Kim, chief executive of Krafton.