Nexon announced on November 5 that it will run the 'Global Development Contest Mission Challenge' through November 25, allowing players to play the finalist entries of the MapleStory Global Development Contest. Players can earn 50 World Coins per mission, and gameplay metrics as well as user feedback will be reflected in selecting the final winning entries.
Around 400 worlds were submitted to the contest, with 30 entries passing internal evaluation to advance to the finals. Nexon plans to combine the internal finalist review results with user evaluations calculated from cumulative playtime, various metrics, and feedback to select seven final winning projects in December.
Finalist teams will receive 50 million won in support funding alongside the opportunity to participate in the MapleStory Worlds Creator Support Program. The final winning teams will receive an additional 40 million won in support funding per team.
To participate in the challenge, players can log into the eligible event worlds and complete missions such as defeating monsters, clearing stages, completing quests, and reaching level milestones. The finalist entries will also be featured during broadcasts for the MapleStory Worlds Creator Festival 2026. The broadcasts will feature creators including ChimChakMan, Cheol Myeon Su Sim, Magic Park, and Hyean-gers (Hyean, Alice, Yeonho, and Menpa).
The MapleStory Global Development Contest was created to discover global developers who can creatively interpret and expand upon the core appeal of the MapleStory IP. Submissions were accepted through the sandbox platform MapleStory Worlds until October 7, with Nexon evaluating entries based on criteria such as IP interpretation and expansion, completeness, and sustainability. The selection results were revealed on the official contest webpage on October 27.
"We are deeply grateful for the immense interest and support shown for this contest, and we extend our congratulations to the 30 teams advancing to the finals," said Shin Min-seok, General Director of MapleStory Worlds. "I was thoroughly impressed by the surprising level of polish and creative ideas demonstrated in the submissions." He added, "As player engagement metrics are included in choosing the final winners, we hope users will play the finalist entries firsthand and show their warm support and encouragement."
Further details on the finalist entries and challenge participation are available on the official MapleStory Worlds website.
