Look, let’s be honest: Nexon is shaking things up. On the 22nd, they announced the call for participants for the '2026 NEXON University Game Jam', affectionately dubbed 'JAMITNEC'. Now in its fourth year, this event is all about teams racing to craft a playable game from scratch, testing their collaboration and creative grit. This year, however, they’ve completely overhauled the format to put AI at the very heart of the development pipeline.

The goal here is to scout and nurture young talent, but with a modern twist. By making AI the core foundation, they've scrapped the old-school division of roles like planning, programming, and art. Instead, everyone is now recruited under a single 'Game Creator' banner. It’s an interesting move; you don’t need a specific major or past experience to apply. You just need an idea, and you’ll find your teammates once the event kicks off on-site.

To ensure everyone can actually afford to play with these fancy new tools, each team will receive 400,000 원 in AI usage subsidies. You won't be left in the dark, either; Nexon’s own industry veterans will be floating around as mentors and judges, passing on their hard-earned wisdom. If you’re keen, you have until the 28th to register via the official website. Once the dust settles on the selection process, 56 lucky participants—split into 14 teams—will descend upon the Nexon headquarters in Pangyo for a three-day, two-night crunch session from July 24th to the 26th.

Once the games are finished, the judges from Nexon’s ranks will weigh in on theme suitability, creativity, polish, and—dare I say it—how much fun they actually are. There’s a total prize pool of 7,000,000 원 up for grabs, with 3,000,000 원 for the Grand Prize, 2,000,000 원 for the Top Excellence award, and 1,000,000 원 each for two Excellence award winners.

Hong Ja-hyun, head of Nexon's recruitment team, noted, "For this year's JAMITNEC, we’ve redesigned the event to welcome AI as a new team member, removing traditional barriers so anyone can bring their vision to life. We’re eager to see these future talents push their limits by fully embracing the AI-driven development process."

For more details on how to get involved, you can head over to the official JAMITNEC websiteto find everything you need to know.