The GXG 2026 Game Music Competition, 'The 3rd SOUND TRACK' (hereinafter 'GXG Soundtrack'), a stage where the emotional impact of gameplay is reimagined through music, announced on the 8th that it will accept applications for approximately six weeks, from the 8th through July 19th. Applications can be submitted online via the official website.

Now in its third year, the GXG Soundtrack is a creative competition where participants interpret the inspiration they receive from games into their own music. The previous two competitions featured performances that broke genre boundaries, ranging from rock, hip-hop, and R&B to orchestral and traditional Korean music. In 2025, a total of 138 teams applied, resulting in a 20-to-1 competition ratio for the finals, cementing the event's status as a competition that draws attention from both gamers and musicians alike.

The six teams that pass the preliminary rounds will compete in the finals on the main stage at Pangyo Station Square on September 11st. A total of ₩21 million in prize money will be awarded to the final winners: ₩10 million for the Grand Prize (1 team), ₩5 million for the Gold Prize (1 team), ₩2 million each for the Silver Prize (2 teams), and ₩1 million each for the Bronze Prize (2 teams). The following day, September 12nd, the GXG Gala Concert will take place, featuring another round of passionate live performances from the finalists.

A total of 15 game companies are participating in this year's competition, presenting 16 different games as themes. Expectations are high for the new melodies that creators will craft from these diverse game genres.

Participating games include NEOWIZ's 'Shape of Dreams' and 'Lies of P' Overture; the Dungeon&Fighter Universe from NeoPle, including 'Dungeon&Fighter', 'Dungeon&Fighter Mobile', 'The First Berserker: Khazan', and 'Cyphers'; Nexon Games' 'Blue Archive'; Nexon Korea's 'MapleStory'; Riot Games' 'League of Legends'; Supercell's 'Brawl Stars'; EPIDGAMES' 'Trickcal Revive'; NC's 'Lineage'; NHN's 'Hangame Royal Hold'em' and 'Hangame Low Badugi'; WEMADE and Mad Engine's 'Night Crows'; Kakao Games and Lionheart Studio's 'Odin: Valhalla Rising'; KRAFTON's 'PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds'; and Pearl Abyss' 'Black Desert' and 'Crimson Desert'.

An official from the GXG 2026 organizing committee stated that this third annual competition will be a high-quality event that elevates the synergy between games and music to a new level. They added that they look forward to many creators taking on the challenge of capturing beloved game content with original sounds to color the autumn in Pangyo with a new cultural experience.

Meanwhile, the urban game culture festival 'GXG 2026' will be held for two days from September 11 to 12, 2026, in the area around Pangyo Station Square. Detailed guidelines for the GXG Soundtrack application and information about the GXG event can be found on the official website.