- The Sponsoring Body: Hosted and funded by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).
- The Platforms: Executed through three primary partner institutions—the Korea AI Game Association, the Daegu Digital Innovation Promotion Agency (DIP), and the Korea Game Developers Association (KGDA).
- The Subsidy: Offsets labor costs by covering up to 50% of a newly hired trainee’s monthly wage (capped at 3 million KRW per person/month) for up to 6 months.
- The Deadline: Online applications are being accepted until Friday, July 3, 2026, at 11:00 AM KST.
Project-Based Cultivation for K-Game Creators
The Korea AI Game Association officially announced the open recruitment of game studios for the upcoming “2026 Game Company Project On-site Training Program.” Designed to alleviate financial recruitment pressures on local studios while simultaneously offering youth talent critical, hands-on development experience, the program acts as a structural pipeline linking academic concepts with live-production environments.
When submitting an entry, applicant studios must select one of the three participating platform agencies (Korea AI Game Association, DIP, or KGDA) to manage their training framework.
Strict Eligibility Criteria
The initiative is open to a wide range of corporate scales—including agile startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), mid-sized companies, and conglomerates—provided they meet distinct legal and operational baselines:
- Corporate Status: Must be legally registered as a game-related corporation or individual enterprise.
- Operational Longevity: The studio must have been registered for at least 1 year as of the official announcement date.
- Headcount Metrics: Studios must maintain 5 or more full-time regular employees (including the company representative) and prove active enrollment in South Korea’s 4 major social insurance systems.
- Hiring Plan: The company must have concrete plans to recruit new personnel to execute active game development projects.
Financial Relief and Mentorship Pipelines
Selected studios will receive direct financial assistance to facilitate onboarding. KOCCA will subsidize up to half of the newly recruited trainee’s monthly paycheck, providing a maximum of 3 million KRW per employee each month for a duration of half a year.
In return for the grant, participating companies are required to integrate trainees directly into active, live-development game pipelines. Furthermore, companies must assign dedicated, senior-level internal mentors to oversee the trainees, ensuring that the curriculum remains focused on practical, real-world development metrics.
Quick Specification: 2026 On-site Training Program
| Category | Details |
| Host / Governing Body | Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) |
| Platform Institutions | Korea AI Game Association, DIP, KGDA |
| Application Window | June 22 – July 3, 2026 (Closes promptly at 11:00 AM KST) |
| Target Scale | All sizes (Startups to Conglomerates) with 5+ regular employees |
| Subsidy Cap | Max 3 Million KRW per month/person (Within 50% of gross wage) |
| Support Duration | Up to 6 Months |
| Evaluation Process | Document Screening → Online Video Interview |
How to Apply
The application window runs until 11:00 AM KST on July 3, 2026. Interested game companies can review the comprehensive guidelines and access the submission link via Google Forms directly on the official Korea AI Game Association portal. Following the close of the submission track, the platform agencies will conduct a rigorous document screening followed by specialized video interviews to finalize the ultimate cohort.
“This initiative effectively bridges the immediate personnel demands of active game studios with the practical field experience that young, aspiring creators desperately need. For studios currently driving live game development projects, this serves as an excellent springboard to discover elite talent and foster joint growth.”
— Korea AI Game Association Representative.
