Source: Kakao Games

Kakao Games (co-CEOs Kim Tae-hwan, Lee Si-woo) announced on the 12nd that it participated as an official sponsor in the '2026 Youth e-Sports Festival,' hosted by Smilegate HEEMANGSTUDIO on the 11st, to provide children and adolescents in the local community with opportunities to experience gaming culture and explore career paths.

The '2026 Youth Esports Festival' is a social contribution-focused event designed to help children and teenagers in regions with limited access to gaming culture experience esports and explore potential career paths in the gaming industry. Kakao Games has been an official sponsor of the festival for three consecutive years since 2024, maintaining a long-term partnership.

The event was organized to allow children and adolescents who advanced to the finals through regional children's center qualifiers to gather at the Daejeon e-Sports Arena to compete in e-sports and explore various game content and related career fields. Kakao Games operated its 'Visiting Friends Game Land' program for approximately 400 participating children and adolescents, providing them with opportunities to experience diverse game content.

At the event, Kakao Games showcased several interactive programs, including: #1 '4D VR Bus' for immersive game content; #2 'Wheelchair Sports Game' to promote disability awareness and inclusive gaming culture; and #3 a 'Photo Zone' for creating lasting memories. Through these activities, the company provided local youth with broad exposure to gaming culture and fostered interest in the gaming industry as a potential career path.

Cho Jung-yeon, Head of the ESG/Value Enhancement Office at Kakao Games, stated, "We hope this experience serves as an opportunity for children and adolescents interested in the gaming industry to reflect on their career paths and nurture their dreams. Kakao Games will continue to support various activities to ensure that children and youth in local communities can experience diverse gaming cultures and explore their futures."

Kakao Games' 'Visiting Friends Game Land' is the company's flagship CSR initiative, launched in 2019 to bring gaming experiences and joy directly to children and adolescents with limited access to such culture. Since last year, in partnership with the international children's rights NGO Save the Children, the program has strengthened activities to promote healthy play experiences and the right to play, expanding its reach to various locations including children's hospitals, special education schools, and child welfare facilities.