KRAFTON India has announced the third cohort of its KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI). The company also confirmed that Frontier Paladin, the first PC game to come out of the program, will launch on April 24, 2026.
The announcement was made in Bengaluru on April 18, 2026. Both moves are part of KRAFTON India’s push to support local game studios building for a global audience.
KIGI Cohort 3: Four New Indian Studios Join the Program
Four new studios have been picked for the third edition of KIGI. Each studio will get milestone-based financial support between $50,000 and $150,000. They will also receive 6 to 12 months of mentorship from KRAFTON’s global network.
This cohort comes with an expanded mentorship model. KRAFTON India says it is adding deeper engagement, functional experts, and a stronger focus on quality control. Studios will also get user acquisition support from the company.
Partner tools and services in this cohort include Google Cloud, AWS, AccelByte, Lift Off’s GameRefinery, AppMagic, and Lysto. Two new partners have also joined: Liquid and Grit, and GameRamp.
The Four Studios in KIGI Cohort 3
The cohort features teams from across India, working on different genres.
Xod Games Studio (Jaipur, Rajasthan) is building Peaky Circus. The game is a narrative-driven Metroidvania set in a mystical world where clowns hide their true identities behind masks.
EvolX Games (Bangalore, Karnataka) is developing Ludaro. It is a roguelike deck-building dice game with a twist on traditional Ludo.
Ether Games (Kochi, Kerala) is working on Battlefront. The game is a mobile shooter focused on frontline battles across dynamic warzones.
RedDevil Studio (Hyderabad, Telangana) is making Rooster Rumble. It is a mobile PvP brawler built around rooster fights with short, skill-based matches.
KIGI Program History: 10 Studios Across Two Cohorts
KIGI was launched in 2023. Since then, it has supported 10 studios across its first two cohorts. Games in the program have covered genres such as puzzle, RPG, action-adventure, and sports.
The program helps studios strengthen production, refine go-to-market plans, and get their titles ready for launch. Mentors come from KRAFTON’s network in India and South Korea.
Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of KRAFTON India, said, “India is seeing strong momentum in game development, with more creators building for global audiences. Through KIGI, we aim to support this growth by enabling studios with the right resources and guidance.”
Anuj Sahani, Head of KIGI and Director of Publishing at KRAFTON India, added, “Through the KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator, our aim has always been to back India’s most promising game developers with the resources and guidance needed to build globally competitive titles.”
Frontier Paladin: The First PC Game From KIGI
Mumbai-based Singular Scheme is the studio behind Frontier Paladin. The single-player action RPG launches on PC on April 24, 2026.
The game mixes skill-based melee combat with tower defense. Players take the role of Titus, a Paladin defending the Order’s fortress on a cursed battlefield. Gameplay covers trap placement, AI-led allies, and evolving character builds.
The title has already picked up awards at IGDC 2024 and 2025. It is also the first PC release from any KIGI cohort, and marks a shift for the program beyond mobile-first titles. For context on how KRAFTON’s mobile work has progressed recently, you can read about the BGMI 4.3 update and its new UI overhaul.
Ahad Oomerbhoy, Founder of Singular Scheme, said the project took four years. “Frontier Paladin has been a four-year journey of relentless iteration, refining combat feel and redesigning progression to truly balance RPG depth with strategic defense.”
He added, “What sets it apart is that hybrid experience: a deliberate paced action RPG that seamlessly transforms into tactical tower defense. We hope our journey is one of the first; that many other Indian studios will make similar journeys regarding ambitious, premium PC games being built locally for a global stage.”
What This Means for Indian Game Development
KIGI Cohort 3 and the Frontier Paladin launch come at a busy time for KRAFTON India. The company has also been working on expanding BGMI through partnerships such as the Chennai Super Kings collaboration, and has been running player surveys around a possible BGMI Lite version.
KRAFTON India has invested over $250 million in Indian startups across gaming, esports, and technology since 2021. Its flagship title, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), has crossed 260 million downloads.
With Frontier Paladin hitting PC on April 24 and Cohort 3 now in motion, KIGI is adding premium PC development to its track record. More information is available on the official KRAFTON corporate website.
