Dev-Diary #2 — Behind the Scenes: How KRAFTON Became Our Key Partner

Hello everyone !

For this Dev-Diary, EFGames CEO Joaquín thought it might be fun to share some behind-the-scenes stories—like how he first connected with KRAFTON and how our partnership came to be. So we’ve put together a special post, written in the style of a “letter from the CEO” 😊

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Today, I want to talk a bit about something that’s been a huge part of this project behind the scenes, how we ended up partnering with KRAFTON, and what this has meant for us as a dev team.

Honestly, when we first started building RHL, we didn’t fully understand the scale of the game we were making. It wasn’t until we showcased it at our first Gamescom in 2022 and the positive feedback we received that we realized just how big, complex, and ambitious the game was, and the impact it could have if we did it right. That’s when we understood we needed a strong partner to walk this journey with us.

Making a game is so much more than just building it: servers, QA, build systems, legal, localization, platform support, community management, marketing... Trying to handle all of that alone would have pushed actual development aside.

After attending many fairs, GDCs, Gamescoms, and more, we had several publishers express interest until Krafton appeared and showed genuine enthusiasm. For a giant like Krafton, known worldwide for PUBG, to be interested in a small company like us was both an incredible boost of confidence and a huge responsibility. We couldn’t afford to fail.

Among all interested publishers, what convinced us most about Krafton was their clear commitment to our vision and the understanding they showed of what we wanted to create, not just the genre or the visuals, but the feel we pursued with the game. Why we care so much about the driving feeling, why we’re obsessed with polishing every aspect of the driving and shooting physics.

A dinner at Gamescom 2023 confirmed the strong connection between Krafton’s and EF Games’ teams, paving the way for the investment and publishing agreement that would take another year to finalize. Of course, contracts are never quick or simple, but throughout the process, one thing was consistent: follow-through. Everything we discussed early on has been honored, and that trust has only grown.

Now that we work together daily, it’s clear this partnership goes beyond publishing, it’s about building something the right way.

The biggest impact? We’ve been able to focus, really focus. We had the space to do what we truly want: improve the game, one mechanic, one detail at a time. There’s still a lot ahead, and we’re learning every week. Looking back, partnering with KRAFTON was the right move. Of course, this partnership means we must be mindful of deadlines and quality benchmarks, which adds pressure but also pushes us to deliver our best. It’s been a balancing act, maintaining our creative freedom while aligning with KRAFTON’s expectations, but so far, it’s been an inspiring challenge.

We’re excited to bring you a demo in July that truly reflects the hard work of both teams. We hope it gives you a taste of what we’re building and sparks your enthusiasm as much as it has ours.

Thanks for sticking with us so far! We can’t wait to share more updates soon. Meanwhile, keep an eye on our socials for teasers and sneak peeks. And, as always, your feedback means everything to us !