South KoreaTechnology and telecom2025 – ongoingKrafton
AI First transformation, GPU cluster and voluntary resignation program
Krafton declared an AI First shift in October 2025, planning over 100 billion won for GPUs and later offering voluntary resignations
Problem
Krafton, the PUBG publisher, reported record third-quarter 2025 earnings. Management said it wanted to automate routine work so staff could focus on creative work and harder problems.
Approach
CEO Kim Chang-han announced the shift on October 23, 2025 at an internal event. The plan covered a GPU cluster costing over 100 billion won, an AI platform with data integration targeted for the second half of 2026, and a yearly AI tool budget of about 30 billion won from 2026. In November the company announced its first voluntary resignation program for all staff, paying six to 36 months of salary by tenure, and froze hiring except for original-IP and AI roles. Krafton said the program was not a downsizing, while CFO Bae Dong-geun said the AI strategy could affect headcount.
Results
Takeaway
Krafton paired its AI investment plans with a hiring freeze outside original-IP and AI roles and a voluntary resignation program. The company called the program support for staff; its CFO said the AI strategy could affect headcount.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Technology and telecom
- Business function
- Strategy and organizationHuman resources
- Innovation type
- Organization and ways of working
- AI technology
- AI agentsGenerative AI
- Adoption
- Built in-house
- Evidence
- Company's own claim
Sources
Source summaries
Digital Daily reports CEO Kim Chang-han's announcement at the internal Krafton Live Talk. Krafton planned a roughly 100 billion won GPU cluster and an AI tool budget of about 30 billion won a year from 2026, with a target to finish the AI platform in the second half of 2026.
News1 covers the voluntary resignation program of up to 36 months of salary and the hiring freeze outside original-IP and AI teams. It quotes CFO Bae Dong-geun saying the AI First strategy could affect headcount and reports the GPU tender was still under way.
PocketGamer.biz reports that Krafton told staff of the program on November 12, 2025 and offered payouts from six months for under one year of service to 36 months for over 11 years. A Krafton spokesperson described it as staff support and denied that it was a workforce reduction.
Full details are in the original sources.
