▶ Support for 12 projects, including game production, global expansion, and talent development, supporting approximately 50 companies and 220 individuals.
▶ New initiatives to support young developers’ settlement and mentor emerging indie games in partnership with major game companies.
Gyeongsangnam-do Province has finalized the ‘2026 Gyeongnam Global Game Center Support Project’ to strengthen the competitiveness of local game companies and revitalize the local indie game industry.
Gyeongnam Global Game Center, which entered its third year of operation in 2026, supported 22 gaming companies last year, achieving KRW 2.94 billion in sales and creating 85 new jobs.
The production-supported game “Deckland” has finalized a publishing contract with a specialized distributor, and collaborative projects with major platforms are currently under discussion. “Contract X Romance” was released on Stove in August 2025 and achieved a 287% year-over-year sales increase (from KRW 31 million to KRW 120 million), demonstrating the growth potential of indie games.
This year, based on the achievements made in 2025, we plan to strengthen the full-cycle support system linking indie game production, distribution, and talent development, thereby leading the growth of game companies and fostering an ecosystem.
The main business is 12 projects in 4 areas: ▲ game production support and incubation ▲ distribution support ▲ talent development support ▲ awareness improvement and cultural expansion.
The game development support program will expand from existing resident companies to encompass all businesses in the province, prioritizing market competitiveness and focusing on discovering killer content. To achieve this, we will provide phased support for game development for 10 game developers and 8 indie game developers. We will also support performance marketing and participation in global exhibitions to drive overseas expansion and sales growth.
In particular, the game advancement support project, which targets games that are about to be released or are preparing for overseas release after their domestic release, is expected to contribute to strengthening corporate competitiveness and increasing sales.
In the field of talent development, we will operate a game academy that includes training in game production based on generative artificial intelligence (AI), and promote field-oriented talent development by strengthening the discovery of development talent and entrepreneurship linkages through game jams.
In addition, as a new project this year, we are introducing a youth developer settlement support project (for about 10 people) to encourage game developers to settle in the region. We will support a portion of the rental deposit interest or monthly rent for young people who find employment at local game companies.
In addition, the existing indie game production support will be developed into a more marketable game company fostering project through the ‘2026 Next-Generation Sprout Indie Game Discovery Project’, which links consulting with major game developers.
Jin Pil-nyeo, head of the Cultural Industry Division of Gyeongsangnam-do Province, said, “This year marks an important turning point for the Gyeongsangnam-do Global Game Center, which is now in its third year, as it will allow local game companies to truly generate results,” adding, “We will continue to enhance the competitiveness of the local game industry through support tailored to the company’s growth stage.”
