NHN is launching a hackathon aimed at discovering talent in the gaming and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors. The initiative seeks to identify individuals with proven capabilities in real-world tasks to enhance AI competitiveness in the gaming industry.
On July 13, NHN announced the opening of participant recruitment for the hackathon event 'Next AI Network 2026' (NAN 2026).
NAN 2026 is a recruitment-focused hackathon designed to find gaming talent to shape the next phase of AI. This event is part of the company's strategy to internalize AI-driven business innovation. It is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency to foster talent in the domestic gaming industry.
Participants will be required to complete preliminary tasks, which include a playable game build, demonstration video, game introduction document, AI utilization technical document, and a team member role description (which can be excluded for individual participants). Ten teams will be selected through internal evaluation to advance to the finals.
The finals will take place from September 4 to 6 at NHN's 'Play Museum' in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province. Competing teams will focus on development for 48 hours following the announcement of the theme, submitting deliverables such as game prototypes, agent design documents, and directing specifications.
Winners will receive an opportunity for a final interview, and bonuses will be awarded based on tenure if hired. NAN 2026 is open to teams of up to three members or individuals aged 19 and older. Interested participants must submit their application and preliminary tasks through the application page by August 10.
Through this event, NHN aims to discover AI talent with verified capabilities in real-world tasks and link this to actual hiring, thereby strengthening AI competitiveness in the gaming sector.
Additionally, NHN is operating various internal and external AI programs to enhance the group's AI capabilities and promote AI-driven business innovation. In March, the company conducted an internal program called 'NHN AI Sprint' to improve AI utilization skills among employees. On July 2, NHN Cloud and NHN Dooray hosted '2026 Agentic Day,' sharing results produced by AI agents through lectures and interactive booths.
On July 1, NHN implemented the AI model 'Claude' from the U.S. generative AI company Anthropic across the organization to enhance employee productivity through AI.
Kim Sang-ho, head of NHN's gaming division, stated, 'NAN 2026 is a game-focused hackathon that allows participants to propose new experiences using AI in games and implement them into tangible results. NHN plans to not only adopt AI but also strive to create substantial outcomes.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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