BGMI maker Krafton expands India games portfolio with Defense Derby launch

The real-time strategy mobile game, which belongs to the tower defense genre, will be available in India and over 190 countries across the world.

Krafton, the South Korean gaming giant that developed the popular battle royale title Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), is expanding its portfolio of games in India with the launch of Defense Derby, a real-time strategy game developed by its independent studio RisingWings.

The mobile game, which belongs to the tower defense genre, will be available as a free download on Google Play, Apple's App Store and Samsung's Galaxy Store in India and over 190 countries across the world.

The title was first announced in August 2022 with early-access tests happening between April 27-May 11. Global pre-registrations started from June 2023 and it was soft-launched in six countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, and Hong Kong in July 2023.

With this launch, Krafton now offers four titles in India that includes a real-time strategy game Road To Valor: Empires, and battle royale game New State Mobile, apart from BGMI.

The company said that Defense Derby will provide a range of game modes including a core Derby Mode where players battle against each other, a Blitz mode where players fight against computer-controlled opponents.

The Valley of Trials mode allows players to conquer challenges using a restricted selection of units while Friendly Derby enables them to establish rooms to engage their friends in combat.

"Along with RisingWings, we have curated a captivating gaming adventure that sets it apart from other tower defense genres" said Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, Krafton India.

"As we continue our journey and strengthen our commitment in India, we look forward to independently developing games for our Indian community as well as collaborating with our talented studios to bring more such exceptional experiences to our enthusiastic fans in the country," Sohn said.

On August 2, Krafton and one of its other independent gaming studio Dreamotion had also announced plans to soon introduce a new Indian faction in Road To Valor: Empires that will feature characters inspired by ancient Indian tales and legends.

In recent years, the company has invested over $130 million across multiple Indian startups in the field of interactive entertainment, gaming, Esports and technology.

Among its investments include Nazara-owned Nodwin Gaming, JetSynthesys-owned mobile game development studio Nautilus Mobile, game streaming platform Loco, Indian language storytelling platform Pratilipi, audio content platform Kuku FM and influencer marketing platform One Impression.