A provisional tally shows that a total of 271 employees left the KRAFTON group in January 2026 as part of a workforce reduction. The figure is reportedly lower than what management had initially planned. The headcount includes KRAFTON’s headquarters (HQ) and its domestic subsidiaries. The primary driver behind the departures is understood to be the recently implemented voluntary resignation program.

Previously, KRAFTON Chief Financial Officer Bae Dong-geun explained during a conference call, “As previously announced, we carried out a voluntary resignation program. As of January 31, the resignation process has been completed, and approximately KRW 40 billion in related costs will be reflected in the first quarter.”

According to compiled reporting, RisingWings—developer of Defense Derby and Archer King—recorded the highest ratio of departures relative to its remaining workforce. A total of 41 employees left RisingWings, representing 40.2% of its remaining headcount of 102.

Bluehole Studio, which previously attempted development of Dark and Darker Mobile and is currently preparing TERA 2, saw 51 employees depart. This amounts to 25.5% of its remaining workforce of 200.

At KRAFTON headquarters, including its internal PUBG Studio, a total of 158 employees resigned. The remaining headcount stands at 2,072, placing the departure ratio at 7.6%. On a single-entity basis, this represented the largest absolute number of departures.

inZOI Studio, which is developing inZOI, saw 13 employees leave, representing 9.3% of its remaining 140 staff.

Dreamotion, developer of Road to Valor and My Little Puppy, recorded three departures, amounting to 9.7% of its total workforce of 31. 5minlab, the studio behind the action title Smash Legends, also saw three employees depart, representing 2.8% of its 109 employees. Neptune Company, which operates casual game and advertising platform businesses through its subsidiaries, recorded two departures, or 1.7% of its 121 employees.

ReLU Games, dedicated to AI-driven game development, was the only subsidiary that reported no departures, maintaining its existing workforce of 38 employees.

In November of last year, KRAFTON announced its “AI First” initiative and implemented the voluntary resignation program. In addition to efforts to internalize talent through internal transfers and job reassignments, the initiative was intended to support employees who wished to pursue new challenges outside the company. Participants were offered support payments equivalent to up to 36 months of salary. Unlike conventional voluntary retirement programs, eligibility was not restricted by rank, tenure, or years of service; all employees were free to apply.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.