The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) are now scouting for the 8th intake of trainees for the Game Talent Academy.

The Game Talent Academy is an educational institution dedicated to fostering talent for the game industry, operating a curriculum centered on practical projects that reflect real-world game development environments. It has recorded a cumulative 73% job placement rate, with graduates advancing to major domestic game companies.

Starting with the 8th cohort, the program will operate in two streams: departmental training and field internships. Those selected for the departmental track will begin their training this April.

The departmental training program runs as a full-time, five-day-a-week commitment for nine months (three semesters) through December. The recruitment covers three departments: Game Design, Game Art, and Game Programming, with approximately 20 students per department, totaling 60 trainees.

The curriculum is composed of a practice-oriented program where students perform team-based game development through interdisciplinary collaboration, based on theoretical education and practical training for each major. The program has strengthened educational content reflecting the latest game development and technology trends, such as indie game design, artificial intelligence (AI), AI art, and AI literacy.

The Game Talent Academy defines AI-based game development as an essential rather than optional skill, mandating the use of AI in all development projects and planning to increase the proportion of AI utilization in the curriculum by 20%. The decision to adjust the training period from two years to nine months also reflects the changing development environment where the use of AI is rapidly spreading across the game industry.

Tuition is entirely free. Students can also access game development infrastructure at a professional level, including high-spec workstations, the latest game development software, virtual reality (VR) equipment, and generative AI tools. Industry professionals from major domestic game companies such as Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton participate as instructors and mentors to pass on their practical experience.

Eligibility is open to those born on or before March 31, 2008, with preference given to applicants with game production experience or development knowledge. Trainees are selected through a two-stage process: a document review and an in-person evaluation (tests and interviews). The application period is from February 4 to March 10 at 12:00 PM, and applications can be submitted via the Korea Creative Content Agency Project Management System. The information session for the 8th Game Talent Academy recruitment will be held on February 11 at 2:00 PM at the Game Talent Academy Campus 1 multi-purpose hall in Pangyo.