Smilegate Hope Studio said on the 7th that it was selected as Asia's representative "The Social Innovator" in the report "The Business of Doing Good in Asia" published by Economist Impact, a research institute under the Economist Group in the United Kingdom. It was the only one among Korean corporations to make the list.
Economist Impact analyzed the CSR strategies of major Asian corporations in this report and highlighted sustainable doing-good business models rather than simple charity. The report selected 12 global corporations, including ▲Tata Group (India) ▲Ant Group (China) ▲Microsoft Philanthropies (United States) ▲Ayala Corporation (Philippines) ▲Saraya (Japan).
The report assessed Smilegate as "a leading social innovator that linked the joy of games and community energy to solving social problems," and said it expanded a culture of doing good through "gamifying giving."
Hope Studio introduced game elements such as levels, ranks, and badges into its donation platform to drive voluntary participation by users, achieving cumulative donations of $4.5 million (about 6.5 billion won). In 2024 alone, about 19,000 instances of donations and volunteering were carried out.
In addition, through the in-game donation campaign of "Epic Seven," $600,000 was delivered to the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and UNESCO to support the establishment of literacy centers in Bhutan and Sri Lanka, and a project was carried out in partnership with the streamer platform "SOOP" to help children in the blind spots of psychotherapy.
Kwon Yeon-ju, a director at Smilegate Hope Studio, said, "It is meaningful to be named in a report by a global institution," and added, "We will continue to broaden our positive impact through CSR activities where participants feel fun and fulfillment."