The Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA) announced on the 7th that it has teamed up with Nexon Korea to launch the 'Nexon MapleStory Worlds Academy 1st Batch,' a program dedicated to grooming virtual fusion content creators. Applications are open until June 7th. This academy is a hands-on training program that utilizes 'MapleStory Worlds,' the UGC-based game development platform crafted by Nexon and managed by TOBEN Studio.

MapleStory Worlds is an open platform where anyone can use MapleStory assets to build, share, and potentially monetize their own games. The goal of this program goes beyond simple education; it aims to have students build, ship, and operate their own game worlds, with the potential for actual revenue generation. The intensive six-week course runs from June 13th to July 18th, with sessions held every Saturday.

Participants will engage in a mix of offline lectures at the RAPA Seocho office and live online mentoring via Discord. Students will plan content across various genres, such as platformers and idle games, while working on team or individual projects. The program is open to anyone aged 14 or older with an interest in game and UGC content creation.

The selection process will comprehensively evaluate applicants based on their motivation, past platform experience, and ideas for MapleStory Worlds-based UGC projects. All selected students will be provided with a GPU-equipped laptop and free lectures from industry experts. In particular, to facilitate practical work, the program will support access to generative AI tools for one month and provide ongoing support for creator growth through mentoring and collaboration opportunities with Nexon developers.

Jung Heung-bo, Executive Vice President at RAPA, stated, "Through this academy, we aim to unearth top-tier UGC talent and tangible platform success stories," adding, "We will continue to build a sustainable creator growth model to ensure these students evolve into core creators within the MapleStory Worlds ecosystem."