Source: NHN
NHN (CEO Jung Woo-jin) announced on the 13th that it has started accepting applications for Next AI Network 2026 (NAN 2026), a hackathon linked to human resources recruitment with the aim of discovering talent in the game and AI fields.
NAN 2026 was organized as part of NHN’s company-wide strategy to bring AI-driven business innovation in-house to discover gaming talent who can design the next stage of AI. The name “NAN” signifies NHN’s next chapter of expansion through AI and reflects the company’s goal to uncover new possibilities for AI within the gaming industry. The event aims to develop domestic gaming talent and is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency.
NAN 2026 is open to anyone over the age of 19, and participants can apply individually or in teams of up to three people. Applicants must submit their application form and preliminary project via the event page by Monday, August 10th. The preliminary project must include a build of a playable game, a demo video, an introduction to the game, technical documentation on the use of AI, and a description of team member roles (optional for individual participants). Ten finalists will be selected after an internal review and will be notified individually.
The finals will be held from Friday, September 4th to Sunday, September 6th at the NHN Headquarters “Play Museum” in Pangyo City, Gyeonggi-do. Once a theme is announced, teams have 48 hours to focus on development and deliver deliverables such as game prototypes, agent design documents, and production specs. The top three teams will receive cash prizes. The Grand Prix will receive 50 million won, the Grand Prize 20 million won, and the Excellence Award 10 million won.
Additionally, all winners will be offered employment opportunities. Winners will be given a final interview and those who are hired will receive a bonus based on their years of service.
Through this event, NHN aims to discover AI talent with practical skills, directly connect them to recruitment, and strengthen AI competitiveness in the gaming field. In addition to NAN 2026, the company continues to operate various internal and external AI programs to strengthen the Group’s AI capabilities and drive AI-based business innovation.
In March, NHN successfully completed NHN AI Sprinton, an internal program aimed at improving the AI capabilities of group employees. On July 2, the company together with NHN Cloud and NHN Dooray hosted the “2026 Agentic Day” to share the achievements achieved by AI agents through talks and interactive booths.
“NAN 2026 is a game-specific hackathon where participants can propose new experiences using AI in games and implement them into actual results,” said Kim Sang-ho, General Manager of NHN’s Game Business Division. “We are looking forward to the participation of many people with creative ideas and a spirit of challenge.”
He further stated, “NHN will continue to innovate games using AI based on the data and service operation know-how accumulated over many years.We would like to go beyond simply introducing AI and strive to create tangible results.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of NC AI. It was then edited by a native English speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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