KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator Returns with Third Cohort to Boost India's Gaming Innovation

BusinessWire India

Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], September 15: KRAFTON India is once again opening its doors to the country's most ambitious game developers, with registrations for Cohort 3 of the KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) set to begin on September 20, 2025. Launched in 2023, KIGI quickly established itself as a launchpad for emerging talent, supporting 10 studios across two cohorts through financial assistance, expert mentorship, and access to global platforms. Now returning for its third edition, the program aims to unlock even greater opportunities for India's next generation of game creators.

From the vibrant alleys of Kolkata to the tech corridors of Bangalore, from the temple town of Madurai to the hills of Nagaland and the bustle of New Delhi, KIGI has become a national engine of innovation, empowering game creators to bring bold new ideas to life. With support from the Google for Startups Cloud Program, startups in the KIGI can access Google Cloud resources designed to help early-stage founders leverage the full potential of its latest AI innovations.

By collaborating with tech giants like Google Cloud, AWS, AccelByte, Lysto, AppMagic, and Liftoff's GameRefinery, KIGI now provides its startups with a best-in-class ecosystem.. These collaborations span cloud infrastructure, backend integration, game analytics, user acquisition, and even AI-driven playtesting - equipping studios to build, test, and scale with confidence and speed.

A National Story of Innovation

KIGI's support has led four studios from Cohort 1 to achieve successful soft launches, marking a strong start for the program's impact, while Cohort 2 studios continue to make rapid strides in development.

Cohort 1 (2023-2024):

* ReDimension Games (Kohima, Nagaland) - Sojourn Past, a stylized 2D action-adventure

* Shura Games (Gurgaon, Haryana) - Spice Secrets, a culinary puzzle game

* Dunali Games (New Delhi) - Rookie Tales, a tactical deck-building RPG

* Arjuna Studios (Bangalore, Karnataka) - Gangster Carnival, a desi-styled battle royale

Cohort 2 (2024-2025):

* Kleanup Games (Madurai, Tamil Nadu) - CHROMADI, a vibrant retro shoot-'em-up

* Advaita Interactive (Kolkata, West Bengal) - Inspectorium, a steampunk detective game

* Singular Scheme (Mumbai, Maharashtra) - Frontier Paladin, an RPG-tower defense hybrid

* Smash Head Studio (Bangalore, Karnataka) - Cricket Rivals, a reimagined multiplayer cricket title

* Unwind Games (Hyderabad, Telangana) - BaoBao's Journey, a cozy puzzle experience

* Ginger Games (New Delhi) - Monkey Mayhem, a hybrid-casual action adventure

These studios showcase the depth and diversity of India's gaming imagination, blending local flavor with global ambition, and building genre-bending titles ready to compete on the world stage.

Anuj Sahani, Head of KRAFTON India Incubator Program, said, "With each cohort, KIGI is proving that world-class games can be built right here in India. We've created an ecosystem that gives creators what they need to turn big ideas into scalable, successful games. The response to our first two cohorts has been incredible, and with Cohort 3, we're deepening our commitment to support bold, diverse talent from every corner of the country."

Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of KRAFTON India, said: "Our vision is to empower the next generation of Indian game developers and shape India into a global creative force. Through KIGI, we're strengthening the local ecosystem and supporting studios that will define the future of gaming from India. We're committed to nurturing a thriving environment where innovation, talent, and ambition can flourish."

Applications open September 20, 2025. Teams can visit the KRAFTON India website for more information and explore the KIGI program in detail to apply and take the first step toward building India's next big gaming success story.

Developers, dreamers, and designers - if you've got a game in you, now's the time!

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