[Daejeon = E-Daily Reporter An Yu-ri ] “This is the first time I’ve competed in an esports tournament in such a crowded place. I think the experience of performing in front of so many people will help me feel less nervous when I enter the workforce in the future.”

The e-Sports Arena in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, where the “Youth e-Sports Festival” was held on the 11th. A player from the “Sam-sotneun Regional Children’s Center” team, which won the KartRider Rush+ division, made this remark.

The Youth Esports Festival is a corporate social responsibility event that provides children and teenagers from community children’s centers nationwide with opportunities to experience gaming culture and explore career paths. It began in 2022 as the esports career education event “Pro Dreamer” and is now in its fourth year.

The atmosphere at the competition venue was so electric that the children’s enthusiastic cheers were almost deafening. The event has grown rapidly each year, matching this fervor. Participation, which stood at 460 participants from 20 organizations in 2022, has expanded to 7,470 participants from 258 organizations this year.

Kwon Yeon-ju, Director of Smilegate’s Corporate Social Responsibility Division, said, “I feel a deep sense of pride when I see children who are usually quiet at the center become stars among their friends, develop leadership skills, and take the lead during esports tournaments.”

Lee, a third-year middle school student who attended the festival for the fourth time this year, shared his thoughts: “At first, I participated in the tournament just for fun, but now I think I’ve been playing the game with a more serious mindset, determined to do well.” Lee’s team was unfortunately eliminated in the quarterfinals this year. Competing under the nickname “Teleportation Master,” Lee vowed, “Since I’ve been focusing solely on Speed Mode, I didn’t get to practice Item Mode much, so I’ll make sure to practice both modes equally next year.”

A key feature of the event is the “Collective Impact” approach, in which various companies and organizations beyond the gaming industry contribute their respective expertise. Twelve entities participated, including Smilegate Hope Studio, the Nexon Foundation, Supercell, Kakao Games Corp., the Korea Creative Content Agency, and Amazon Web Services (AWS)—spanning game companies, public institutions, and IT firms.

The gaming industry leveraged its expertise to provide content. The Nexon Foundation and Supercell provided the game IPs for “KartRider Rush+” and “Brawl Stars,” while Kakao Games Corp. offered the hands-on CSR program “Friends Game Land on the Go.”

Collaboration with local communities also expanded. This year, the Gwangju Information and Culture Industry Promotion Agency and the BusanIndustrial Information Industry Promotion Agency joined as new partners. Together with the existing Daejeon Information and Culture Industry Promotion Agency, they supported the event by providing free venue rentals and assisting with tournament operations, thereby connecting local esports infrastructure to the event.

At the quarterfinals held in the Gwangju region on the 15th of last month, university students majoring in esports and gaming from the Gwangju area participated as interns and directly managed the tournament. The event, which began as a social contribution initiative for children and adolescents, is now expanding its reach to provide local youth with professional experience and job opportunities.

Director Kwon said, “I was impressed by the passion of the students from Gwangju’s esports-related game departments who participated as interns,” adding, “Since this initiative has expanded beyond social contribution for children to include the creation of local jobs, I hope partner companies will join us next year so we can further expand opportunities for hands-on work experience.”

Companies from various sectors, including retail and manufacturing, also lent their support. Hankook Tire provided a 45-seat “Tteum Bus” to enable children living in remote areas to visit the arena. Representatives from Nongshim, home to the “Nongshim Red Force” team, also attended the event for the first time this year.

The event has established itself as a platform where participants can not only enjoy games and competitions but also explore career paths. The T1 Esports Academy distributed T1 merchandise and its own academy merchandise on-site and conducted career counseling sessions related to esports.

A T1 official said, “Many students came because they were curious about what esports is and what T1 does,” adding, “It was a meaningful experience to help children who had previously had no exposure to esports learn more about both esports and T1.”