December 22, 2024

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Oh Jin-ho, Krafton's new chief global publishing officer (Krafton)

Krafton, the South Korean game developer behind PUBG: Battlegrounds, said Tuesday it had appointed Oh Jin-ho, a seasoned executive with experience at Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment, as its new chief global publishing officer.

Oh's extensive background includes major roles such as general manager of Riot Games and president of Blizzard Entertainment Korea and Southeast Asia, where he was instrumental in localizing and launching blockbuster games like World of Warcraft and StarCraft.

Oh also served as CEO of Garena, a Singaporean gaming company known for distributing popular titles like Free Fire and FC Online, boasting an annual operating income exceeding 2 trillion won ($1.46 billion).

“I’m excited to join Krafton at such a dynamic time. With my background in the gaming industry, I’m looking forward to driving our international growth and delivering top-notch experiences for our players,” said Oh.

Krafton’s decision to hire Oh is part of its plans to stabilize and diversify its revenue streams through global publishing. The company aims to mitigate revenue fluctuations by sharing profits with intellectual property developers while offering a diverse array of games to a worldwide audience.

In line with this strategy, Krafton has recently bolstered its leadership team with notable global industry veterans. Richard Yoon, previously head of global new business at Apple, joined as vice president of global strategy and operations late last year. More recently, Thomas Go, former global general manager of Samsung Pay and head of platform business at Epic Games, was appointed vice president of publishing platforms in May this year.

With these additions, Krafton is gearing up to enhance its global presence by discovering new intellectual properties, strengthening its services and expanding its publishing capabilities. The company has been aggressive in pursuing mergers and acquisitions to broaden its portfolio, and it believes that with Oh at the helm of global publishing this expansion will be even more effective.

By Moon Joon-hyun (mjh@heraldcorp.com)