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Krafton launches voluntary resignation program for employees as it transforms into an “AI first company”

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Gaming publisher Krafton has initiated a voluntary resignation program for all employees, offering severance packages ranging from 6 to 36 months' salary, despite achieving record third-quarter profits. This strategic move is part of the company's declared shift to become an "AI-first" game developer, following its recent commitment of $70 million to AI infrastructure and a freeze on non-AI related hiring. The program, while presented as a means to support employee growth, signals a significant workforce restructuring and a clear prioritization of AI capabilities in Krafton's future operational strategy.

Analysis

Krafton, despite reporting record third-quarter profits, has launched a voluntary resignation program (VRP) for all employees, effective November 12. This initiative is a direct consequence of the company's strategic pivot to become an "AI-first" game developer, offering severance packages of 6 to 36 months' salary to participating domestic staff. The VRP, which management describes as a means to support employee growth in the AI era rather than a layoff, is complemented by a freeze on hiring in non-AI related areas. This resource reallocation reinforces Krafton's earlier commitment of $70 million towards a GPU cluster for its agentic AI foundation, clearly signaling its future priorities. This aggressive workforce restructuring, even with employee autonomy in opting in, indicates a significant shift in required skill sets and operational focus. The company's proactive investment and strategic realignment towards AI, despite current profitability, suggest a long-term vision to secure a competitive edge in the evolving gaming market.

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