Krafton and KeSPA team up to help grow school esports. 3 min. read * The Korea e-Sports Association and Krafton have put pen to paper on a new three-year deal * The two companies will collaborate to help the growth of school esports * Executives at KeSPA and Krafton share their excitement The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) and Krafton, a leading South Korean video game publisher, announced a new three-year collaboration. At the epicenter of the agreement is the promotion of esports in schools with the ultimate goal of helping esports gain more popularity in South Korea's sports vertical. The two team up to promote the growth of esports in South Korea. Announced on Monday, April 13, 2026, the collaboration between KeSPA and Krafton builds on the duo's long-term successful agreements. Previously, the two companies collaborated for PUBG esports events. However, now, they will unite their forces to promote esports and foster new talent. KeSPA and Krafton will help more students get into esports by offering player development and helping connect amateurs to professional players. The collaboration will not only foster new talent but also help improve the esports ecosystem in schools across the country, promoting the activity's growth. Importantly, the two companies also unite to make esports a normal part of traditional sports in South Korea. Park Soo-yong, Krafton's Head of Esports PUBG division, spoke with excitement about the new collaboration, local media reports revealed. "Based on the 7 years of trust that Battleground and the Association have had together, we are happy to take action to revitalize esports in schools," Soo-yong pointed out. Moreover, the executive said: "We hope that a systematic environment will be created where students can learn a healthy sports spirit through esports and further grow into professional players." Finally, Soo-young said that the two companies' efforts will focus on making the domestic IP, PUBG: Battleground, a normal part of the international esports scene. Kim Cheol-hak, KeSPA's Secretary General, was similarly excited. "This agreement will represent a turning point for domestic esports sports to secure unrivaled status within the domestic and international institutional sports system," he said. Moreover, Cheol-hak outlined that the landmark collaboration between KeSPA and Krafton will serve as the foundation for player growth and talent acquisition. Finally, the executive acknowledged that the effort is expected to help with player development, enabling amateur players to grow reaching the national team. 14 Apr 2026 3 min. read

Epic is making a Disney extraction shooter in the battle to win back young men, report says. Epic Games is developing a new extraction shooter for Disney and plans to launch it in November, according to a new report from Bloomberg. It will be the first game released as part of Disney's $1.5 billion investment in Epic, which is best known for Fortnite and the Unreal Engine. According to Bloomberg, the extraction shooter is similar in style to Embark Studios' hit Arc Raiders, but will feature Disney characters. It's unclear whether the characters will be unique to the game or as diverse as the Disney-owned characters in Fortnite, which spans properties like Star Wars, Marvel, and Toy Story. Epic has brought dozens of Disney characters to Fortnite over the past eight years, including recent additions like Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb. Epic's Disney extraction shooter is said to be "not very original," according to sources cited by Bloomberg, but employees are "optimistic that Epic will get it right by the launch date." Fortnite itself was not very original; the game's dominant battle royale mode was released as a direct competitor to (or blatant copy of) Krafton's PUBG Battlegrounds (née PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds), which helped popularize the battle royale genre. Disney getting into the extraction shooter business comes after reports claimed the entertainment giant aims to appeal to Gen Z men with new, original movies. As established brands like Star Wars and Marvel's superhero fare struggle to hit the highs of yesteryear, Disney is pushing creators to focus on products that appeal to younger male consumers - specifically the ones that play video games. Even with Epic's reach and track record with Fortnite, a new extraction shooter is not a guaranteed hit. Embark found unexpected success with Arc Raiders, but whatever Epic and Disney are working on will face intense competition from new entries this year, including Bungie's Marathon, Krafton's PUBG: Black Budget, and Deep Worlds' Beautiful Light. Some developers are wisely steering clear of the increasingly crowded PvPvE space. Epic's deal with Disney will reportedly include at least two more games. In 2024, the companies announced plans to create an "all-new games and entertainment universe that will further expand the reach of beloved Disney stories and experiences." In March, Epic Games made headlines after it announced plans to lay off more than 1,000 employees in the face of soaring Fortnite development costs. The company also had another major Disney-related announcement, letting content creators who make custom Fortnite game experiences have access to a trove of Star Wars assets. The two companies will 'collaborate on an all-new games and entertainment universe'

KRAFTON and Neptune launch 'Flick' global game dev challenge: $5 million support pool open to Indian studios. April 10, 2026 Indian game developers now have a direct route to global publishing. KRAFTON and South Korean game developer Neptune jointly announced the launch of the Flick x KRAFTON Casual Game Challenge (Season 1) on April 10, 2026. The programme is open to developers and indie studios worldwide, including India, and offers a total support pool of up to $5 million. The challenge also marks the official debut of Flick, Neptune's dedicated hybrid casual publishing label. What the programme offers. This is not a simple contest with a cash prize at the end. The structure is built as an end-to-end publishing pathway. Teams selected in the first phase receive a seed marketing budget for CPI (Cost Per Install) testing, letting them measure growth potential using real market data from the earliest stages of development. Top-performing titles then become eligible for publishing deals. The minimum guarantees are: * Up to $200,000 for hybrid casual games * Up to $100,000 for hyper casual titles There is also a pre-publishing track designed for early-stage concepts. This track gives developers room to refine and scale their ideas before committing to a full launch. Both finished games and early prototypes are eligible for entry. Applications open on April 21 and close on May 18. Final selected developers will be announced in July 2026. How entries are evaluated. Unlike traditional game development contests, submissions in the Flick challenge are assessed on real-market performance, not just creativity. Selected entries are evaluated on three key metrics: cost per install (CPI), early playtime, and user retention. This data-led model reflects how modern mobile game publishing decisions are made, and it gives developers an early read on whether their game has genuine growth potential before any major investment is made. Discover more Computer & Video Games Battle Royale Games Networking Seunghyun Kwon, Head of Game Business Division at Neptune, said: "With Flick, our goal is to move beyond conventional publishing models and create a scalable, data-driven ecosystem for discovering global hits. By combining real-market validation with early-stage support, we are enabling developers to build with confidence, iterate with clarity, and ultimately compete on a global stage. Our partnership with KRAFTON strengthens this vision, bringing together deep publishing expertise and a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of game creators." What Flick is. Flick is Neptune's hybrid casual game publishing brand, announced as one of the company's three core growth pillars for 2026. The name reflects a philosophy: that a publisher's precise, well-timed support, applied to a small but strong idea, can change what that idea becomes in the market. Neptune plans to use the brand to expand its hybrid casual game publishing operations globally. Neptune was founded in 2012 and listed on KOSDAQ in December 2016. Its subsidiaries include mobile game developers PlayHard, NCROQUIS, EK Games, Prettybusy, and Fantome, as well as PC game developer Nimble Neuron. The company's major titles include Infinite Stairs, Cat Snack Bar, Rumble Heroes, and Eternal Return. Neptune also operates an AdTech division with platforms including AD(X) and AdPie. The hybrid casual segment, which blends the simplicity of hyper casual formats with deeper progression mechanics and combined IAA and IAP monetization, has been growing rapidly in the global mobile gaming market. Flick is Neptune's attempt to build a sustainable pipeline within that space. What this means for Indian developers. For Indian studios, the programme provides access to global publishing infrastructure, early-stage funding, and a structured pathway to international markets, without needing to already have a global network in place. The announcement arrives as India's game development ecosystem continues to grow. KRAFTON India has been investing in local studios through initiatives like the KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI), which provides financial support in the range of $50,000 to $150,000 per team along with mentorship and access to tools. The Flick challenge complements that work by opening a separate, performance-driven route to global publishing for mobile game developers at any stage. KRAFTON India has invested over $250 million in Indian startups across interactive entertainment, gaming, esports, and technology since 2021. The Flick programme adds another layer to that commitment, specifically focused on the hybrid and hyper casual mobile game categories. For more on KRAFTON's broader India strategy, the KRAFTON India development pipeline coverage on TalkEsport outlines how the company is positioning itself for long-term growth across gaming and publishing in India. How to apply. Developers interested in the Flick x KRAFTON Casual Game Challenge can find full details and submit applications at the official website: flickdifferent.com. Both finished games and prototypes in development are eligible. The challenge is open globally. Teams of any size can enter. The timeline is: applications open April 21, close May 18, and final selections are announced in July 2026. For more context on how KRAFTON India is approaching the gaming and investment landscape in the country, see the KRAFTON India investment fund launch story on TalkEsport. Faq. What is the Flick x KRAFTON Casual Game Challenge? It is a global game development programme launched by KRAFTON and Neptune on April 10, 2026. It is designed as a full publishing pathway for hybrid and hyper casual mobile games, not a one-time contest. The total support pool is up to $5 million. Who can enter the Flick challenge? Developers and indie studios worldwide, including India. Both finished games and early-stage prototypes are eligible. When do applications open and close? Applications open on April 21, 2026, and close on May 18, 2026. What are the minimum guarantees for selected titles? Up to $200,000 for hybrid casual games and up to $100,000 for hyper casual titles. How are entries evaluated? Selected games are assessed on cost per install (CPI), early playtime, and user retention, based on real market testing data. What is Flick? Flick is Neptune's dedicated hybrid casual game publishing label, launched in 2026 as one of the company's three core growth pillars. It is designed to help developers discover, validate, and scale mobile games for global markets.