The Korea Mobile Game Association hosted the '2026 AI & Game Industry Forum' on February 27th at Platform-L in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The forum was designed to dissect current AI trends, share practical development use cases, and explore viable business models. Supported by Megazone Cloud and Alibaba Cloud, the event saw a turnout of around 200 industry professionals, including small-to-mid-sized developers, publishers, and investors.

The first session covered the broader game industry ecosystem, ranging from AI tech and cloud infrastructure to subculture fandom dynamics and super-app platforms.

In the 'AI Session', Alibaba Cloud Tech Lead Lim Jong-jin demonstrated how their AI solutions can streamline game development and operations. Megazone Cloud Team Leader Hong Chae-yeon followed, offering concrete methods for integrating global AI tools into content production, backed by the company's internal references.

NC's Executive Director Lim Soo-jin introduced 'VARCO', the in-house game AI tech utilized by NC, and proposed solutions to the very real bottlenecks developers face in mobile game production.

Anchor Node CEO Won Jae-ho diagnosed the rapidly shifting development landscape, looking towards the future. By highlighting a case where his team built a game in just six days using their proprietary AI solution, he argued that a 'YouTube moment' for the gaming industry—where AI allows teams to bypass capital and manpower constraints—is just around the corner.

The industry session pivoted to content expansion and convergence business models. Hivevero CEO Won Se-yeon shared his playbook for managing 'Dragon Village' for 14 years, focusing on sustaining IP longevity and expanding its fan base.

Starlike Director Lee Hyung-chul defined subculture as 'fandom-based consumption content', while cautioning against the friction that arises when AI efficiency replaces the creative effort and emotional resonance expected by fans. Drawing on his 'Iruestar Fes' experience, he stressed that even when using AI, a baseline of human touch and quality control is non-negotiable for peaceful coexistence with the fandom.

Toss Head of Division Hwang Ji-man discussed the global trend of HTML5 mini-games that skip the download process, proposing new business opportunities by wedding these games with AI. Scatter Lab CEO Kim Jong-yoon showcased 'zeta', an AI entertainment service that topped charts in Korea and Japan, discussing the new paradigm AI is carving out in the entertainment sector.

Following the sessions, a networking party drew 150 attendees, fostering active information exchange and concrete business cooperation discussions.

Korea Mobile Game Association Chairman Hwang Sung-ik stated, "I hope this forum serves as a compass for South Korea's small-to-mid-sized developers navigating these massive technological shifts." He added, "The association will continue to listen to the field and provide platforms that tangibly strengthen practical capabilities and drive business growth."