South Korean video game company and maker of BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI), KRAFTON, announced the release of three webtoons based on BGMI on 21 April 2022. This comes in partnership with Pratilipi, a digital storytelling platform.
The webtoons that will go live include the first six episodes of Night of Silence, Retreats and 100, each portrayed in different genres: thriller, fantasy, and action, respectively. The webtoons each tell different stories surrounding the world based on the well-renowned battle royale game, BGMI, allowing KRAFTON, Inc. to provide its fans with an immersive experience beyond the game. The webtoons will be released in multiple Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, and Marathi.Users will be able to access this localised content on Pratilipi Comics App.
Already gaining immense popularity globally in countries like Taiwan, United States and France, KRAFTON’s webtoons are garnering much anticipation from BGMI fans prior to its launch in India. The release is in line with KRAFTON, Inc. and Pratilipi’s partnership to offer exciting and original content in a range of regional languages to Pratilipi’s audience of 30 million monthly readers including India’s biggest BGMI fans.
KRAFTON India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn said, “At KRAFTON, our core focus lies in giving our fans an interesting and exclusive gaming experience through our characters, storytelling, and various in-games practices. We have an extremely dedicated fan base that takes deep interest in following the worlds we create. Our association with Pratilipi is an extension of our vision of providing stimulating experiences to the fans. We are happy to partner with Pratilipi and look forward to reaching these readers with interesting content that enables them to stay connected with our universe.”
“One of the first things that excited me about the webtoons is the author’s ability to create vast new universes a reader could get lost in. We are delighted to be able to offer BGMI IP based universe content exclusively on Pratilipi and enable Indian gamers to explore the lore and history of the BGMI Universe. Webtoons are a creative way of storytelling and are gaining immense interest but by localising content for Indian audiences, we are pleased to offer this vast universe of content to regional language audiences,” said Pratilipi founder Ranjeet Pratap Singh.
The Night of Silence is a mystery thriller revolving around the story of Leah who suspects the sudden demise of her father is the result of foul intentions and digs deeper to unravel the mystery. 100 is a survival-action webtoon that begins with a National Intelligence Service agent trying to find a missing lawmaker participating in a survival game on an abandoned island where the chance of survival is just one percent. The Retreats – The Prince and the Pauper is a fantasy webtoon about a Retreat resident who loses his identity and how he overcomes a variety of struggles to fight back and recover all that he has lost through the way.
Prior to the launch of its webtoons, KRAFTON, Inc. also unveiled eight localized videos in partnership with Pratilipi including Ground Zero, a live-action short film; Mysteries Unknown, an investigative “docu-series” offering conversations with insiders and experts to explore the backstory behind the Battlegrounds; and videos offering gamers lore of the islands of Erangel and Miramar. Alongside video content, Pratilipi also hosts comic series and short stories including the Sanhok Saga and The Ghosts of Miramar.
