The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) announced on November 14 that they shared the results of the second cohort of the “Global Webtoon Games” program and discussed strategies for expanding global market support during G-STAR 2025, held at BEXCO in Busan. The initiative—developed in partnership with Google Play and Naver Webtoon—aims to strengthen the production ecosystem for small and mid-sized game studios leveraging K-Webtoon IP.
Google Play × Naver Webtoon × KOCCA: A Three-Way Partnership for Production Advancement
Key leaders from all three organizations—including KOCCA Acting President Yoo Hyun-seok, Naver Webtoon Head of IP Business Nam Kyung-bo, and Google Play APAC Managing Director for Partnerships Paula Wang—met to discuss the future direction of the third cohort of the initiative.
Topics included:
- Strategic plans for the 2026 Global Webtoon Games Cohort 3
- Strengthening IP management and production pipelines
- Joint promotional and service support
- Expansion of support beyond mobile into PC platforms, beginning with the 2026 cohort
During the event, two new games from the second cohort were unveiled at the joint Google Play booth, attracting strong attention from visitors.
- Mobisoft showcased Dungeon-Eating Artifact, an action fantasy game based on the popular webtoon of the same name.
- Funnypack unveiled a game adaptation of the dark fantasy webtoon The Hero Has Returned, which follows a high school student-turned-world-saving hero who struggles upon returning to reality.
A live talk session featuring developers and influencer Ujunging also provided behind-the-scenes insights into the production process, drawing an enthusiastic audience.
Public–Private Collaboration Accelerates Global Expansion of K-Webtoon-Based Games
The Global Webtoon Games program is a flagship initiative supporting the creation of game adaptations based on Naver Webtoon IP while enabling small and mid-sized studios to advance into the international market.
Since its launch:
- Cohort 1 (2022–2023) supported 3 studios: Billionaire Games, SuperJam, and Growing Seeds.
- Cohort 2 (2024–2025) supported 5 studios: Mobisoft, Funnypack, Soul Games, Red Dot Games, and Story Taco.
Among them, Red Dot Games and Story Taco have already launched their titles, while six additional studios are in production or preparing for release. Recruitment for Cohort 3 will begin early next year through the KOCCA website.
Within the project’s collaborative framework:
- Google Play supports global marketing and promotional placements.
- Naver Webtoon provides IP licensing, project oversight, and promotional integration.
- KOCCA handles project administration, corporate selection, and financial production support.
KOCCA Acting President Yoo Hyun-seok emphasized,
“Games based on webtoon IP are now a central driving force in the global expansion of K-content. Through continued public–private collaboration, we will further strengthen regional game development ecosystems and support K-Webtoon-based games in reaching new heights in the global market.”
