Korea Game Giant, The Jedi for Life, developer Krafton, announced a $96 million acquisition of the developmenter of Last Epoch for the RPG. The acquisition was intended to lock Krafton into a competitive IP in the ARPG area and further consolidate its global market position.
The EHG was founded in 2018 by a group of fanatical ARPG players, whose members were first known through Reddit and born in the community with the dream of building the next generation of great action RPG. In 2024, the studio officially launched the Final Era in Steam, with a global sales volume of over 3 million, with its innovative system, its fine game design and its focus on the ARPG core elements, winning the praise of faithful players and industry.
It is interesting to note that Krafton’s time point for the acquisition of the EHG is taking place during a period of controversy between it and the founding team of the Subnautica series of developers, Unknown Worlds, on issues such as the remuneration for the development of the Deep Sea Trek II, which has accumulated over 12 million players globally.
Following recent updates, the Final Era has been strong on indicators such as player activity and the number of people online at the same time, becoming one of the most visible works in the global ARPG category. Through this acquisition, Krafton aims to gain a competitive ARPG series of IPs to further strengthen its position in the global market. The transaction will provide EHG with resources and infrastructure support to better serve the community and ensure that the Final Era continues to evolve to meet the growing expectations of players.
The acquisition will also help EHG to expand its development to the mainframe platform and expand its quarterly content development pipeline to lay the foundation for the long-term development of the IP. Krafton will support the RHG ‘ s real-time service road map, team expansion and international distribution, while ensuring that the studio retains full leadership and creative autonomy.
In his statement, EHG Chief Executive Officer Judd Cobler said: “Being in Krafton is a dream come true for Eleventh Hour Game. Their deep passion for ARPG fits perfectly with our mission. With the support of Krafton, EHG is preparing to move the Final Era series to a new height. As a studio built by this type of player, we are so excited about the future.”
Maria Park, head of the Krafton Enterprise Development Department, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Eleventh Hour Gomes to the Krafton family. The team’s commitment to the ARPG community and the innovative approaches to game development resonate strongly with our values.” She added: “The process by which they emerged from the grass-roots studios as globally known ARPG developers is remarkable. We believe that this acquisition laid the foundation for Krafton’s rich game-type combination and the expansion of unique IPs. It also reaffirms our unwavering enthusiasm for the great game and its development team. We will always support players as first developers.”
Krafton acquired 100 per cent of the EHG shares, which included $96 million in down payment.