Busan City and the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (the Agency) are set to compete in the '2026 Korea eSports League (2026 KEL)', hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA), by re-establishing their local squad, 'GC BUSAN'.

This marks their return after a five-year hiatus since 2021. Established in 2016 as the first local government-backed team, GC Busan has competed in various titles such as Overwatch and Blade & Soul. The Agency plans to recreate the legacy of GC Busan and once again prove the potential of Busan as an 'eSports mecca'.

The 2026 KEL, now in its second year, is the largest regional league in Korea, featuring 19 teams from across the country. Large-scale events, including 'Super Weeks' based at regional eSports arenas, are planned to allow fans to experience the excitement of the matches in person.

The Agency will compete in the Eternal Return category, which holds the largest share of the 150 million KRW total prize pool (100 million KRW), under the name 'GC Busan Stella'. They have recruited veteran players such as SeoEunSeol (Seo Eun-seol) and Romatic (Han Jun-hee), as well as top-tier prospects like Hare (Park Min-woo) and Nizika (Joo Jun-young). The team will begin their journey starting with the opening match on May 22nd.

Kim Tae-yeol, head of the Agency, stated, "GC Busan is a team that symbolizes the foundation of eSports in Busan, and it is deeply meaningful to share the news of our re-establishment with the fans who have been waiting for our return." He added, "By participating in this KEL, we will re-establish a model case for regional teams and further solidify Busan's status."

Starting with this re-establishment, the Agency plans to use the Busan eSports Arena (BRENA) as a base to discover local prospects and foster professional talent, thereby strengthening the virtuous cycle of the overall eSports industry.

For more details regarding the tournament, please visit the official KEL website.