Twelve developers who have shaped the landscape of Korean online and mobile gaming will serve as mentors at OpenAI's first-ever Codex game hackathon in Seoul.

OpenAI has unveiled the lineup of 12 leading Korean game developers participating in 'OpenAI Game Builders Seoul,' scheduled for August 31. This event, the first of its kind globally to focus on game development using Codex, is evolving into a major networking hub for the industry's top talent. Mentors representing every era and genre—from the dawn of Korean online games and MMORPGs to the mass adoption of mobile gaming, global expansion, and the rise of indie titles—will share decades of expertise with the next generation and explore new, Codex-based production methods.

The 12 mentors include previously announced Song Jae-kyung, former CEO of XLGAMES; Kang Dae-hyun, co-CEO of Nexon Korea; Kim Dae-hwon, CEO of AButton; Park Bum-jin, CEO of AQUATREE; Ban Seung-chul, CEO of SECONDDIVE; Lee Jung-woong, former CEO of SundayToz; Lim Hyun-soo, former CTO of SundayToz; Kim Dong-kyu, founder of Hidea; Ko Jung-hwan, co-CEO of Supervillain Labs; Hong Sung-jin, former CTO of Devsisters; Lee Jun-hee, CTO of Artue; and Park Sang-jun, director of the AX HUB at Com2uS.

Jake Song, former CEO of XLGAMES, is a first-generation Korean online game developer who led the creation of 'Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds,' 'Lineage,' and 'ArcheAge.' Recently, he has been working on 'Open MMO,' a solo MMORPG project utilizing generative AI. Kang Dae-hyun, co-CEO of Nexon Korea, has led advancements in game development, live services, and data technology through his work with the 'Dungeon & Fighter' development team, Nexon's Live Division, and Intelligence Labs. He currently serves as the director of the Maple Division, overseeing the development and growth of long-running hit titles.

Kim Dae-hwon, CEO of AButton, previously served as Nexon's Vice President of New Development, where he led the development of the MMORPG 'Wars of Prasia' and the launch of the 'MINTROCKET' brand; he is currently overseeing the development of new titles such as 'Zeus: God of Insolence.' Park Bum-jin, CEO of AQUATREE, expanded the large-scale MMORPG experience to mobile with 'Lineage 2: Revolution' and 'Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds' before introducing the Unreal Engine 5-based 'ARCHITECT: LAND OF EXILES.' Ban Seung-chul, CEO of SECONDDIVE, recorded 100 million cumulative global downloads with the mobile action RPG 'Dark Avenger' series and expanded the fun of action into the MMORPG genre through 'Ares: Rise of Guardians.

Ko Jung-hwan, co-CEO of SuperVillain Labs, oversaw the mobile action RPG 'LOCUS' following his experience in the development and live services of 'MapleStory' and 'Dungeon & Fighter,' and is currently leading the development of a new RPG. Hong Sung-jin, former CTO of Devsisters, spearheaded server development and the establishment of technical foundations for large-scale live services for 'Cookie Run for Kakao' and 'LINE Cookie Run.' Lee Jun-hee, CTO of Artu, founded Enterfly and saw his mobile game 'Air Penguin' reach No. 1 on the U.S. App Store's paid games chart just four days after launch. Park Sang-jun, Director of Com2uS AX HUB, has spent over 20 years in game art and development and is currently leading the AI transformation (AX) of the company's overall game production.

Kim Kyung-hoon, head of OpenAI Korea, stated, "Korea has long cultivated a globally competitive gaming and development culture. This event is a space where developers with that deep experience can meet the next generation to explore the future possibilities of game development together. We hope Codex will become a practical tool for developers to experiment with and implement ideas faster, and ultimately serve as a catalyst for expanding the very way games are made."

Applications are open on the official website until August 26. Applicants must submit a game prototype developed with Codex and details of their production experience. Forty teams will be selected to attend the one-day offline hackathon in Seoul on August 31. Participants will use Codex to turn their ideas into functional games on-site and will utilize a plugin that supports integration with Com2uS's game backend platform, Hive, to connect features essential for launch and operation, such as login, payments, user analytics, and security.