Hello Players and Creators,

Create YOUR very own MapleStory World and 7 teams will receive up to $65,000 USD each in rewards!

✨ We are looking for Creators to enter the MapleStory Worlds Global Creator Challenge! ✨

Create a new World that expands on the core fun of the MapleStory IP, such as growth, exploration, and hunting.

Winning teams will have the opportunity to participate in the Creator Circle program and obtain up to $65,000 USD in rewards.

👉Check out the 'MapleStory Worlds Global Creator Challenge' page

👉Check out the 'MapleStory Worlds Global Creator Challenge' FAQ

✋ BUT WAIT!

Are you unfamiliar with using the MapleStory Worlds Maker and are hesitant to take on the challenge? Join the official Global Creator Challenge Discord to ask any questions or engage in community discussions!

📢 Event Schedule

Schedule
Submission	UTC: June 4 at 2:00 until October 7 at 2:00 PT (UTC-7): June 3 at 19:00 until October 6 at 19:00 KST (UTC+9): June 4 at 11:00 until October 7 at 11:00
Finalist Announcement	UTC: November 5 at 2:00 PST (UTC-8): November 4 at 18:00 KST (UTC+9): November 5 at 11:00
Finals	UTC: November 5 at 2:00 until November 25 at 2:00 PST (UTC-8): November 4 at 18:00 until November 24 at 18:00 KST (UTC+9): November 5 at 11:00 until November 25 at 11:00
Winners Announced	December 2026

* The schedule is subject to change and we will notify you through a notice when any changes occur.

📢 Compensation and Payment Guidelines

Category

Details

Finals Qualification Rewards

Up to $35,000 USD

Finalists will receive development support funds by participating in the NEXT/Creator Circle program!
Please check this article for details about the Creator Circle program.

Finalist Prize Rewards

Up to $30,000 USD

Cash prize of $10,000 USD if selected as the final winner.
Up to an additional $20,000 for meeting performance criteria:

1st Growth Subsidy ($10,000 USD): Payment will be made if the profit of the winning work exceeds $10,000 USD within the first 6 months, after the award month.
2nd Growth Subsidy ($10,000 USD): Payment will be made if the profit of the winning work exceeds $10,000 USD within 6 months after receiving the 1st Growth Subsidy.

* The final winning World must remain ‘Public’ for at least 12 months from the date of the final receipt of the prize (or grant).

📢 Participation Requirements

Category

Details

Age Requirement

Participation requirements may vary by region. For more information, please refer to the Global Creator Challenge 2026 Policy [here].

Americas, Europe, and other parts of the world: Only those 18 years of age or older are eligible to participate and may be disqualified if they are found to be a minor.
Asia and Southeast Asia: Only those over 14 years old are eligible to participate. However, minors under the age of 18 must have the consent of their parents or legal guardians when advancing to the finals/winning the award, and the subsidy/prize money will be paid in the name of their legal representative.

※ In the event of a conflict between the participant’s local laws regarding minors and the Korean standard of 19 years of age, the local laws shall take precedence.

Prerequisites

Worlds participating in the Global Creator Challenge must meet the following requirements to be considered eligible for participation:

A World created on the MapleStory Worlds platform.
Worlds must be revealed or released for the first time during the submission period.
A World with basic information filled out(World name, description, genre, etc.) and a World play video of 30 seconds or more.
A World that manages at least one community.
Global (all regions) Released Worlds.
Pure creations that do not infringe the rights of others, such as copyrights and intellectual property rights.

* The playability of the World must remain ‘Public’ during the contest period.

* Localization is NOT included in the screening criteria, and automatic translation is available.

* When developing using generative AI, you must comply with the 'CGC Creation Guide using Generative AI [here]'.

📢 How to Enter

STEP 1. Develop the World through the [Maker] of the MapleStory Worlds app and release a new World during the submission period.

* Any Worlds published before the submission period will not qualify.

STEP 2. Click the Creator Challenge banner within the app.

STEP 3. After selecting the World to submit to, click ‘Submit List.’

* Only Worlds with playable settings set to 'Public' can be selected.

STEP 4. Read the 'Global Creator Challenge Policy' (hereafter 'Contest Policy') and click the 'Agree before Submission' button in the submission consent pop-up.

* Once your submission is complete, cancellations are not allowed, so please carefully select your World.

📢 Judging Criteria

Category

Criteria

Finalist Entries

(Up to 30)

Creative IP Use and Expansion (40%): Assess how creatively MapleStory's original elements have been reimagined to offer a more distinct and expansive experience.
Level of Completion (40%): Assess environment stability, core gameplay execution, and the cohesive synergy between the game’s visual and audio elements.
Sustainability (20%): Assess the potential for stable operation after launch, including content scalability and user management.

Winning Worlds

(Up to 7)

Jury evaluation (50%): Evaluated according to the same criteria as the Finalist Entries (IP Interpretation and Expansion 40% + World Completeness 40% + Sustainability 20%)
User (Player) Evaluation (50%): A comprehensive evaluation of user feedback (60%) such as World play metrics, positive response rates, frequency of fraud reports (60%), and ad response data (40%) using ad performance data as key indicators

* The number of Finalists and Winning Worlds may change depending on the status of participation.

📢 Important Notes:

If you withdraw from the MapleStory Worlds service or account, or if violations of the operation policy or contest policies are confirmed, you may be disqualified and any compensation may be canceled.
Even if the participation requirements are met, minors must obtain consent from their parents or legal guardians to advance to the finals and win the final award, and prize money (or support funds) will be paid in the name of the legal guardian.
- However, if the legal criteria for minors applied according to the participant's place of residence differ from the Korean standard (under 19 years old), the relevant legal criteria shall take precedence.
The contest details are subject to change, and if there are any changes, we will provide additional notifications through this notice.
For more details, please refer to the [Global Creator Challenge Policy].

Thank you,

- The MapleStory Worlds Team