The South Korean video game holding companyKraftonhas confirmed that it is set to open a brand-new AAA studio in Canada. The studio will be calledKrafton Montreal Studioand will employ 150 workers to develop a new IP. The studio will be led by Patrik Methe, and he will be joined by other industry veterans such as Benoit Frappier, Frederic Duroc, and Martin Paradis in this endeavor.
Krafton is best known for the games developed by its subsidiary companies, PUBG Studios, and Striking Distance Studios. The latter of which is the studio responsible for developing the recent critical flop known asThe Callisto Protocol. Due to the mixed reviews which that game received upon its release,the price ofThe Callisto Protocolwas quickly reduced on multiple digital storefronts in an act of desperation, and this in turn led to a significant dip in Krafton’s share prices.
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Krafton Montreal Studio’s first project will be titledThe Bird That Drinks Tears, and will be an adaption of a highly acclaimed series of novels that share the same title. These novels were written by Yeong-do Lee, an author who is widely credited for pioneering the genres of Korean fantasy and science-fiction. No word has been given yet on Lee’s involvement with this adaption of his work, however given that he is responsible for creating elaborate worlds filled with layered, complex characters, Krafton will likely be looking to bring him on board.
As fascinating as this concept of a new video game IP based on a classic series of fantasy novels sounds, it is fairlysurprising that Krafton iswilling and able to open up a brand-new studio so soon after seeing its stock price dip dramatically. Hopefully this means that Krafton has recovered from the hit it received due to the failure ofThe Callisto Protocoland can continue working on exciting new titles.
Alongside the official announcement of the new studio and the project being worked on, Krafton also revealed that it has been working on the adaption ofThe Bird That Drinks Tearssince 2021. In addition, CEO of Krafton CH Kim also gave a statement to go alongside the announcement:
“We are thrilled to open our first Canadian AAA studio in Montréal, one of the world’s top cities for video game production. The local pool of creative and specialized talent is impressive, and we hope that many will join our team. KRAFTON Montréal Studio will be our third studio in North America, and we have found a great leader in Patrik who has extensive experience bringing franchises to new heights.”
Patrik Methe, recently announced as head of Krafton Montreal Studio, also made a statement:
“Our team is currently made up of seasoned talents with a proven track record of successful games. We share a common goal: to deliver the finest adaptation of the novel and to provide an exceptional experience to gamers. As a fan of medieval fantasy since my teenage years, I’m excited to bring to life a fantasy masterpiece as an ambitious and memorable game. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of the KRAFTON family.”
Krafton will likely want to distance itself from its connectionto Striking Distance StudiosandThe Callisto Protocol’slaunch as much as possible. At the very least for the time being whilst it attempts to set up and establish this new studio. Marketing a new IP to the industry following a commercial failure is not the easiest thing in the world to pull off.
