[News Culture] For smaller game studios, the challenge is no longer simply gaining access to artificial intelligence. It is finding ways to make AI useful throughout the development process, particularly when teams have limited resources and production budgets.
That practical challenge will take center stage at AI Game Lab Day 2026, organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) on November 12 at the Global Game Hub Center in Pangyo's Second Techno Valley.
The event will bring together experienced game developers, technology specialists and independent studios to explore how AI can be incorporated into everyday production. The program emphasizes working methods and development experience rather than demonstrations of AI tools alone.
The opening keynote will feature Won Jae-ho, CEO of AnchorNode, who will draw on 26 years in game development to examine how technological shifts can create opportunities for smaller teams. His session will consider whether AI could help independent developers compete in an industry traditionally shaped by large production budgets and extensive development teams.
Noh Ja-myung, CEO of Muentan Soft, will follow with insights from large-scale game production and projects currently in development. His presentation will address practical challenges encountered during production and how developers can approach them.
The technical portion of the program will feature Park Jong-tae, an engineer at Unity, who will demonstrate ways to combine game engines with AI-powered tools. The session will also cover command-line interfaces (CLI) and their potential applications within existing development workflows.
One of the event's main attractions will be an appearance by Song Jae-kyung, founder of XLGAMES and a veteran developer associated with landmark Korean online games The Kingdom of the Winds and Lineage.
Song will discuss his recent development experience before taking questions in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. Participants will be able to submit questions in advance or raise them during the event, providing an opportunity to hear directly from a developer who helped shape Korea's online gaming industry.
Beyond the presentations, KOCCA will offer individual technical consultations for companies based at the Global Game Hub Center. These sessions will focus on AI adoption and game engine applications, allowing participating studios to discuss specific production challenges with specialists.
Each consultation will last up to 20 minutes and requires advance registration.
The event comes as AI tools increasingly influence how games are designed, produced and refined. For independent developers, the potential benefits extend beyond automating individual tasks to reconsidering how small teams organize their production pipelines and allocate resources.
KOCCA sees the gathering as an opportunity to strengthen developers' practical capabilities as the industry adjusts to new technologies.
"AI is bringing changes across game development, from planning to production," said Joo Sung-ho, head of KOCCA's Game Infrastructure Development Team.
He expressed hope that the event would help developers exchange practical experience, explore new technologies and build stronger AI-assisted production capabilities.
AI Game Lab Day 2026 will also be open to students from the Game Talent Institute and other interested participants. Registration is available through the QR code on the official event poster until November 9.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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