KRAFTON expands gaming incubator cohort to six studios

KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) has expanded its second startup cohort to six studios, up from four in the first batch. The new participants include Kleanup Games and Singular Scheme (Mumbai), Advaita Interactive (Kolkata), Smash Head Studio (Bengaluru), Unwind Games (Hyderabad), and Ginger Games (New Delhi).

This move extends KIGI’s presence to more regions, including newer gaming hubs such as Kolkata and Madurai. According to the company, the programme will continue offering mentorship for six to twelve months and funding support of up to $150,000 per studio.

To support development, KIGI has partnered with AWS, AccelByte, App Magic, and GameRefinery. These partners will provide backend tools, cloud credits, market analytics, and competitor insights. AccelByte will help studios integrate core features into games, AWS will assist with backend infrastructure, while GameRefinery and App Magic will offer data to support design and market positioning.

The second cohort includes a wider range of game types. One studio from Kolkata is developing a detective game using AI to solve murder mysteries. A PC game is also being developed in this batch.

KIGI was launched in 2023 by South Korea-based KRAFTON, known for titles such as PUBG and Subnautica. In addition to KIGI, KRAFTON has previously invested in Indian gaming startups and esports platforms. 

KRAFTON has invested over $200 million in Indian startups since 2021 and continues to support local game developers. With India’s growing love for cricket and gaming, this move strengthens KRAFTON’s position in the country’s gaming ecosystem.