NCSoft (036570.KS) said on the 27th that it will sponsor game startups' participation in the business-to-consumer hall at G-STAR 2026, the international game exhibition, as part of its support for their growth and business opportunities.
The company has sponsored startup participation at G-STAR for 10 consecutive years since 2017, working with the Korea Internet Corporations Association to strengthen the game industry ecosystem. Through last year, it provided a total of 51 sponsorships to 43 startups, offering exhibition booths and entry passes along with opportunities for business partnerships with industry officials and media interviews.
According to a performance survey by the association, 17 of the sponsored startups that responded posted combined revenue of about 67.58 billion won ($47 million) in 2025, up 558% from about 10.27 billion won at the time of their G-STAR appearance. Their cumulative revenue since taking part reached about 290.77 billion won. One company that had no revenue when it appeared in 2022 has since booked 194.1 billion won in cumulative revenue as of October 2026.
Hiring and investment also picked up. Headcount at the sponsored firms rose to 448 from 163 at the time of their G-STAR appearance, creating 285 jobs. The companies have attracted a combined 19.28 billion won in investment and signed contracts worth 15.72 billion won since taking part.
NCSoft will operate a "Startup with NC" booth in the B2C hall at G-STAR 2026, which runs for four days from Nov. 19 to 22 this year. Two companies, SuperJoy and Genie Soft, will take part this year. To mark the 10th anniversary of the program, the company is expanding its support from the business-to-business hall to the B2C hall so that participating firms can show their games directly to general visitors and gauge user reactions.
Beyond G-STAR, NCSoft has also supported startup participation in major game shows at home and abroad, including the Busan Indie Connect Festival, IndieCraft and Taipei Game Show.
"We are deeply grateful for NCSoft's dedication and efforts toward mutual growth in serving as a reliable partner to game startups over the long span of 10 years," Park Sung-ho, chairman of the Korea Internet Corporations Association, said. "The association will also work with member companies including NCSoft to spare no support so that startups with innovative ideas can fully demonstrate their capabilities within a healthy industry ecosystem."
Chang Hyun-young, executive director of external cooperation at NCSoft, said startups that have taken part in G-STAR over the past decade are establishing themselves as a new growth engine for the game industry. "This year, through participation in the B2C hall, we will widen the points of contact where startups meet users, and we will continue working for the sustained growth of the game ecosystem," Chang said.
