TLDR: Krafton, the publisher of PUBG: Battlegrounds, has launched a voluntary resignation program for employees as it transitions to an ‘AI-first’ company. This move follows a successful Q3 with $680 million in profits and aims to streamline operations and foster an AI-centric culture, offering severance packages to departing staff.
Krafton, the South Korean video game publisher renowned for titles such as PUBG: Battlegrounds and the Subnautica franchise, has officially embarked on a significant strategic shift, declaring its intention to become an ‘AI-first’ company. This pivotal transformation is being accompanied by a company-wide voluntary resignation program, as reported on November 13, 2025. The initiative follows a robust financial performance in the third quarter, where Krafton recorded an impressive $680 million in profits.
The company’s new direction emphasizes ‘prioritising AI as a central and primary means of problem-solving’ across its operations. This includes fostering change in individuals and organizations, with the ultimate goal of ‘increasing company-wide productivity’ and enhancing corporate value through generative AI technologies.
According to a report from Business Korea, the voluntary resignation program is designed to ‘support members in proactively designing their growth direction and embarking on new challenges both inside and outside the company amid the era of AI transformation.’ Essentially, Krafton is providing an exit pathway for employees who may not wish to align with the company’s new AI-focused future, while simultaneously aiming to reduce its headcount and mitigate potential internal resistance to the AI integration. The expectation is that this employee exodus will lead to increased efficiency, with agentic AI systems potentially filling the roles vacated by departing staff.
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To ensure a fair transition, Krafton is offering severance packages to employees who opt into the voluntary resignation program. These packages are structured based on the individual’s tenure with the company. This strategic pivot underscores a growing trend within the technology and entertainment sectors, where companies are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to drive innovation and operational efficiency.
