What Happens to a Promising ARPG When Krafton Steps In?
Eleventh Hour Games, the developer behind the action RPG Last Epoch, has been fully acquired by Krafton in a $96 million deal. That number is small compared to Krafton’s earlier $500 million acquisition of Unknown Worlds, but the reaction from Last Epoch players has been anything but minor.
The buyout has sparked a wave of review bombing on Steam, with fans accusing EHG of “selling out” to a company known for aggressive monetization. Many players feel betrayed, and the sentiment echoes frustrations they’ve already had with other games in the genre. This raises a bigger question:
Can a growing ARPG survive corporate acquisition without losing the trust of its players?
What EHG and Krafton Are Saying
In a statement posted on the Last Epoch forums, EHG tried to reassure fans. The studio said Krafton was selected after speaking with “dozens of potential strategic partners,” and that Krafton “clearly demonstrated” it was aligned with their long-term vision. CEO Judd Cobler framed the acquisition as an opportunity to dream bigger, stating the partnership would “allow us to deliver things we’ve only dreamed of previously.”
Krafton echoed this by claiming the deal was meant to boost its global footprint and “demonstrate a commitment to the ARPG genre.” The company also said that EHG would remain independent, and that the acquisition would help expand Last Epoch to consoles and improve seasonal content.
Those are nice words. Players aren’t buying it, at least not yet.
Why Players Don’t Trust Krafton
The response from the Last Epoch community has been swift and harsh. The main concern? Krafton’s history of aggressive monetization, especially with PUBG. Players have grown weary of tactics like excessive microtransactions, battle passes with FOMO-driven rewards, and cash shop creep.
This concern isn’t coming out of nowhere. Krafton’s last high-profile acquisition, Unknown Worlds (developers of Subnautica), turned into a legal nightmare. That deal included a $250 million performance-based earnout on top of the $500 million base purchase. Krafton is now in a lawsuit with the studio’s former leaders, who claim the company purposely delayed Subnautica 2 and fired them to avoid paying the bonus.
Compared to that, the EHG deal is clean and simple. No performance targets, no visible earnout structure. Just a full acquisition upfront. But timing matters. With the lawsuit still unresolved, Krafton’s reputation is under scrutiny, and this new purchase feels to some players like a distraction or a pivot away from a messy situation they haven’t fully addressed.
A Game on the Edge of Greatness Or Trouble?
Last Epoch had a golden opportunity. ARPG fans were already fed up with Diablo IV, and Path of Exile 2 hasn’t exactly won them over either. For a moment, Last Epoch was being talked about as a serious alternative. It reached a peak of over 264,000 players on Steam.
The shine didn’t last. Players began voicing frustration about bugs, balancing issues, and lack of meaningful endgame content. The foundation is there, but the polish is missing.
That’s why this acquisition matters. If Krafton gives EHG the funding and infrastructure to fix core issues, the game could become a true ARPG heavyweight. If, instead, the focus shifts to monetization or console ports while PC players continue to report problems, then this might be the moment where Last Epoch’s momentum dies.
Players Want Clarity Not Corporate Speak
At this point, the best thing EHG could do is tell players what comes next. A new season starts August 21st. Are they fixing the issues players are complaining about? Is there a roadmap for improvements? How do they plan to monetize the game going forward? DLCs? Skins? A cash shop?
Right now, players only know what’s already happened: a buyout. And that leads to the impression that EHG got a great deal while players got left behind.
It’s not fair to expect EHG to have all the answers overnight, but continuing to stay vague while players assume the worst isn’t helping anyone. It doesn’t take much to spark panic in an already suspicious community. Especially one that still remembers the GGG/SixJoy buyout that left Path of Exile 2 in limbo.
The Bigger Picture: A Cautious Genre
There’s a reason why ARPG players are so reactive to buyouts. They’ve seen what happens when smaller studios get folded into bigger publishers. Promises are made, monetization creeps in, and the game they once loved changes. Often not for the better.
Krafton says this is different. EHG is still calling the shots. So far, players aren’t feeling reassured. Trust isn’t something you can buy for $96 million. It’s earned through transparency, consistency, and delivering what you promised.
Krafton’s acquisition of Eleventh Hour Games has the potential to supercharge Last Epoch. Or sabotage it. The outcome depends entirely on how Krafton handles its reputation, how much freedom EHG actually retains, and whether the game’s current issues are addressed before the studio expands into new territory.
Right now, the community doesn’t need vague optimism. It needs a plan.
