The Event: The INDIE CRAFT 2026 Networking Day, a premier collaborative hub designed to provide a global launchpad for outstanding independent games.
The Cohort: Brought together 72 selected indie studios (52 Domestic/Community division, 20 Challenger division) alongside major domestic publishers, including Nexon, NCSoft, Netmarble, and One Store.
The Core Focus: Equipping developers with practical, immediately deployable strategies covering generative AI asset pipelines, local LLM/SLM integration, reward marketing, and AI-era copyright protection.
The Elite Picks: 1HP STUDIO (Inari) and Team Leftova (Lemy) were crowned as the representative top developers of the 2026 cohort.
A Specialized Tech & Strategy Seminars Pipeline
Hosted by Seongnam City and jointly organized by the Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency and the Korea Mobile Game Association (KMGA), the event took place on June 19 at the Gravity Chosun Seoul Pangyo. The core of the networking day centered around a semi-conference featuring eight deep-dive technical sessions tailored to modern development realities:
- Worldbuilding & Creative Design: CEO Kyu-dong Bok (Gentle Maniac) opened with a framework on building cohesive game universes by merging disparate narrative settings.
- AI-Driven Asset Creation: CEO Jae-sik Hwang (UModeler) demonstrated practical methods for solo developers to directly generate in-game assets using automated AI toolsets.
- Localized AI & Language Models: Practical integration strategies were mapped out by CEO Baek-ju Kang (Must Games) on leveraging Local LLMs for game development, alongside CTO Young Choi (Warp Space) on utilizing AI Companion Small Language Models (SLMs).
- Legal Safeguards: Attorney Kyung-tae Baek (Law Firm Shinwon) delivered a critical legal briefing titled “Copyright Stories in the AI Era,” outlining explicit intellectual property protection strategies for studios utilizing generative pipelines.
- User Acquisition: Team Leader Hoon Jung (TNK Factory) analyzed shifting mobile ecosystems and the rapid rise of reward-centric marketing models.
Crowning the 2026 Representative Developers
The highlight of the evening was the Top Developer Selection Ceremony, celebrating two standout projects that earned exceptional scores from the evaluation panel:
Challenger Division: Team Leftova (CEO Seung-hyuk Choi)
- Featured Title: Lemy (레미)
- The Mechanics: An atmospheric action-adventure game set within a uniquely stylized afterlife. The game captured the judges’ attention through its highly distinctive, experimental mouse-driven control scheme and innovative level design.
Domestic & Community Division: 1HP STUDIO (CEO Jung-hoon Lee)
- Featured Title: Inari (이나리)
- The Mechanics: A high-speed, precision action platformer deeply rooted in a striking Oriental fantasy worldview. The game balances high-intensity mechanical skill with fluid, polished animation loops.
Quick Specification: INDIE CRAFT 2026 Networking Day
| Category | Details |
| Host / Organizers | Seongnam City / Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency & KMGA |
| Event Date | June 19, 2026 |
| Venue Location | Space Volume, Gravity Chosun Seoul Pangyo |
| Total Cohort Size | 72 Indie Studios (Selected out of 417 historic applicants) |
| Major Backers | Nexon, NCSoft, Netmarble, One Store, TNK Factory, Anchor Node, etc. |
| Upcoming Milestone | Physical Public Showcases & 2026 GXG Exhibition (September) |
Sustained Institutional Backing for Global Scaling
Ecosystem leaders emphasized that INDIE CRAFT has evolved from a modest local audition into a critical infrastructure for software exports.
“When we started in 2017, this was a small competition supporting just 26 companies. Nine years later, it has transformed into an industry pillar. Out of 417 studios that applied this year, these 72 selected teams are the true protagonists driving change. When brilliant ideas hit a wall due to funding or distribution barriers, INDIE CRAFT steps in as their springboard. From marketing grants and export consultations to our dedicated GXG exhibition in September, we will stand by these creators until they find global success.”
— Ju-yeon Lee, President of the Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency.
Following the networking tracks, the 72 chosen developers will enter an intensive business incubation phase, gaining access to AI-driven data analytics masterclasses and direct publisher matching pipelines, culminating in a high-visibility public showcase at the GXG exhibition in September to crown the ultimate TOP 3.
