Smilegate Hope Studio (hereinafter Hope Studio) announced on the 30th that it will co-host the 5th 2026 PLAY FUN&GOOD Forum with the Korea Association of Game Industry (K-GAMES). The event will take place on November 20 at 3:00 PM in Rooms 311 and 312 on the 3rd floor of Exhibition Center 1 at BEXCO, Busan.
This forum will cover case studies of social contribution collaborations conducted with Hope Studio by game companies, players, and startups. The theme, "GAME+CONVERGENCE," conveys the concept of participants from various fields gathering their resources and capabilities through games to address social issues.
Hanyang University Professor Yu Young-man will deliver the keynote address on the theme of "Creating Social Value Through Empathy and Cooperation in the AI Era." Caster Lee Dong-jin will serve as the host for the event.
HoYoverse Korea and Smilegate will participate in presentations on social contribution utilizing game IPs. HoYoverse Korea Manager Jung Joo-hee will introduce the Genshin Forest Project under the theme of "A Forest Created Together with Game IP." Smilegate Content Marketing Team Leader Kyung Min-kyu will explain social contribution activities conducted based on titles such as Chaos Zero Nightmare and Epic Seven.
Participation experiences from players and the technology sector will also be shared. Lost Ark player "Dal-ae" will talk about participating in donation campaigns and volunteer activities through talent donation. Han Ga-on, CEO of Mospick, a social tech startup for patients with mobility impairments, will present tech-based collaboration cases conducted with Hope Studio under the theme of "When Joy is Added to Technology, It Becomes Hope."
A representative from HoYoverse Korea stated, "We believe this is a meaningful example demonstrating how the fun found within games can translate into real-world social contributions. We will continue to engage in meaningful activities together with players in the future."
Applications to participate in the forum and the post-event networking session will be accepted on Hope Studio's donation platform until November 18. Hope Studio collaborates with various partners, including game developers and IP holders, to spread a culture of giving for future generations through a gamification-based platform.
