Krafton-Backed Blue Ocean Games Launches $30M Fund to Fuel Indie Innovation via Unique Challenge

A new venture capital fund, Blue Ocean Games, has emerged with a substantial $30 million backing from Krafton, the publisher behind titles like PUBG. Led by Damian Lee, a former head of investments at Krafton, the fund is specifically designed to address a perceived gap in the traditional investment landscape for indie game developers. Their ambitious goal is to provide financial and practical support to approximately 100 indie teams over the next three years, focusing on promising concepts that might typically struggle to secure funding.

Central to Blue Ocean Games' innovative approach is a proprietary investment instrument called SAIL (Structured Agreement for Indie Launch). Unlike standard tech-focused investment models, SAIL offers funding at the concept stage, provides up to $300,000 per team disbursed over two years, and incorporates market validation milestones rather than subjective checkpoints. This model features a hybrid equity and revenue share agreement, crucially allowing developers to retain ownership of their intellectual property while providing investors with a balanced return mechanism. The fund also pledges support beyond capital, including administrative assistance and mentorship.

Talent discovery and validation will largely occur through a series of online competitions dubbed "Rising Tide." These challenges serve as a testing ground for developer ideas, offering exposure and validation. Winners of the Rising Tide challenges gain an expedited path to the fund's application process. The inaugural Rising Tide event is slated to begin on May 1, 2025, in collaboration with Global Game Jam, coinciding with the opening of direct funding applications. This strategy aims to build a more sustainable ecosystem where developer passion and player demand are better aligned, enabling groundbreaking indie visions to come to fruition.