Targeting India's National Sport: Krafton's "Real Cricket" Gains Popularity

Second Most Downloaded Mobile Sports Game This Year

Expanding Influence in the Sports Genre Following "BGMI"

"India Is a Core Market"

Krafton is gaining popularity in India with its game "Real Cricket," which is based on cricket, the country’s national sport. Riding the momentum of the "Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026" season, which has grown into the world’s largest cricket league, the game is currently showing the fastest growth among local sports games.

Krafton Corporate Image (CI). Provided by Krafton

According to Sensor Tower on June 1, the global cumulative downloads of "Real Cricket" have reached approximately 70 million (a combined estimate from Apple App Store and Google Play Store). In particular, the game hit a record high in April this year with 3.5 million downloads in a single month.

"Real Cricket" is a local intellectual property (IP) developed and operated for over 10 years by the Indian developer Nautilus Mobile, delivering an immersive experience akin to enjoying an actual cricket match. At the end of last year, Krafton acquired the publishing rights to this game as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in the Indian sports market. Since then, Krafton has enhanced realism by adding official teams, actual player faces, new stadiums, and uniforms to the game in line with the IPL 2026 season. Backed by the Indian market, "Real Cricket" ranked second in downloads among mobile sports games this year.

Sensor Tower stated, "Krafton has continuously encouraged user participation by rolling out new community events and updates, starting with a new season pass in March. The heightened interest in cricket during the IPL 2026 season was effectively channeled into the game."

Krafton positions the Indian market as a core axis for its mid- to long-term growth. Earlier this year, Krafton partnered with Naver and Mirae Asset to establish the "Unicorn Growth Fund" worth up to 1 trillion won, making direct investments in Indian technology companies.

Krafton's journey to establish itself in the Indian market has been full of twists and turns. Before launching "Battlegrounds Mobile India" (BGMI) independently in 2021, the service had been completely banned due to international political circumstances, and in 2022, the company also faced conflicts with the Indian government over security issues. Eventually, the official service for BGMI began in earnest in May 2023. Since then, BGMI has established itself as a leading mobile game in India, accumulating over 260 million total users.

Krafton regards "Real Cricket" as a second IP that is expanding the company’s influence in the sports genre within the Indian gaming market. While BGMI attracted users who enjoy shooter games, "Real Cricket" is solidifying its position by leveraging cricket—a sport that already commands widespread public attention. Recently, Krafton has been broadening its base by developing and trial-testing "Cricket All-Stars," an even more intuitive arcade-style cricket game.

A Krafton representative stated, "Since establishing our Indian subsidiary, we have invested about 250 million dollars (approximately 378.6 billion won) in India, highlighting its importance as a key market in Krafton’s mid- to long-term management strategy. We are expanding partnerships through investment, acquisition, and publishing support for outstanding local developers like Nautilus Mobile, and striving to create successful cases of expanding into not only the Indian market but also the global market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.