Krafton, Seoul National University to Jointly Research World Models for Gaming and Robotics

Pursue three research projects over the next three years
Research center to promote sharing of results and talent exchange

Krafton announced on October 8 that it is launching world model research spanning gaming and robotics in partnership with Seoul National University.

Krafton (left) and Seoul National University logos. Courtesy of Krafton.

Krafton and Seoul National University's Interdisciplinary Program in Artificial Intelligence held a launch ceremony for their joint research project and announced the research topics and participating researchers in the field of world models. Attendees included Lee Kangwook, Krafton's Chief AI Officer (CAIO), and Seoul National University Professor Kang Yoo. The two sides will operate a joint research center under an industry-academia cooperation agreement signed in November 2025.

World models are a technology that enables artificial intelligence (AI) to predict and simulate changes in its surrounding environment. Together with Seoul National University, Krafton will research prediction and decision-making technologies that are needed both in virtual game environments and in the real world, where robots operate.

The research will pursue three projects over the next three years. One will focus on technology that maintains the consistency of spaces and objects when AI generates long videos. Another will study technology that uses in-game motion data to naturally connect the movements of people and objects. The third will use virtual scenes to verify whether AI uses spatial information, such as corridor width and distance to objects, as a basis for its judgments.

The partners will also develop benchmarks to evaluate the results of each project. Based on these benchmarks, Krafton plans to expand its engagement with AI researchers and recruit top talent.

"Krafton's capabilities in simulation and virtual-world creation, built through games, provide an important foundation for world model research," said Lee Kangwook, Krafton's CAIO. "We will use the results of our joint research with Seoul National University to create more immersive gaming experiences and, in the longer term, expand into areas such as robotics."

"It is meaningful to pursue world model research spanning gaming and robotics together with Krafton," said Kang Yoo, a professor in Seoul National University's Interdisciplinary Program in Artificial Intelligence. "We will achieve meaningful results through our joint research and expand opportunities for students to participate in research."

Meanwhile, Krafton is continuing its long-term technology research, including in physical AI, building on its AI research capabilities developed through gaming. After establishing its robotics research subsidiary, Ludo Robotics, in the United States in 2025, the company also established a Korean entity in February 2026.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.