MMO Business Roundup: Krafton and Nexon break records in Q1 2023, Ubisoft lays off 60 workers

We’re continuing our May roundup of MMO and gaming business news, which means it’s time for Business Kitty to make her comeback as well as time for us to gather up some of the shorter but no less important headlines from around our gaming sphere.

• Krafton’s first quarter report for 2023 is heralding a new sales record of $407.8M, up 13% from last quarter and 3% from last year. The company basically has PUBG to thank for its Q1 wins, as sales on the PC version hit new highs and the mobile version experienced growth with its sandbox mode.
• Nexon has also put out its Q1 report, which broke records as well. Sales overall rose 36% YOY for the company, driven primarily by Korea and China, while in our part of the globe MapleStory and the mobile multiplayer strategy title Blue Archive saw sales grow by 10%. On the subject of MapleStory, the report talked up the IP’s blockchain version and its player creation toolset MapleStory Worlds, which readers will recall started life as Project MOD.
• Finally, some less happy business news: Ubisoft has laid off 60 customer service workers in the US and UK as part of “reorganization changes.” The studio tries to spin the move as a way for it to “have a significant impact while remaining steadfast in [its] commitment to consistently support our players anywhere in the world.”