NHN said on the 31st that it will hold a hiring-linked hackathon, "NAN 2026 (Next AI Network 2026)," in September to discover talent in games and artificial intelligence (AI).
"NAN 2026" is a hackathon planned to find game talent who will design the next stage of AI. It was prepared as part of NHN's companywide strategy to internalize AI-driven work innovation in recent months, and it is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).
Kim Sang-ho, head of NHN's game business unit, said, "We are sensing through this 'NAN 2026' that interest is very high among talent seeking to combine games and AI," adding, "We hope many people with skills and ideas will take on the challenge in the time remaining."
Applicants must submit an application form and a preliminary assignment by the 10th of next month. The preliminary assignment should include a playable game build, a demo video, a game introduction document, an AI utilization technical document, and a description of team member roles (may be omitted for individual participants).
Anyone 19 or older can apply as an individual or form a team of up to three people. An NHN official said, "We plan to evaluate solely on the final output, without restrictions based on age, occupation, or job category."
The finals will be held from Sept. 4 to 6 at NHN's headquarters, "Play Museum," in Pangyo, Gyeonggi. Upon the announcement of the theme, teams must focus on development for 48 hours and submit their results. Through evaluation, the top three teams will receive prize money (grand prize 50 million won, excellence award 20 million won, merit award 10 million won) and a final interview opportunity. Bonuses will be paid based on length of service upon hiring.