NHN announces 2026 Hangame Baduk Festival with 21 million won in prize money
In short
NHN said on 22 October that it will hold the 2026 Hangame Baduk Festival (HBF) for users of its Hangame Baduk & Omok game. Online qualifiers run from 27 October to 9 November, and the offline finals take place on 28 November at S Factory in Seoul's Seongsu-dong, with total prize money of 21 million won.
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NHN said on 22 October that it will hold the 2026 Hangame Baduk Festival (HBF), a fan event for users of its Hangame Baduk & Omok game, Yonhap reported. The festival is organised and run by Allthatmind (올댓마인드) and sponsored by NHN's Hangame Baduk & Omok. After online qualifiers, the offline event will be held on 28 November at S Factory building D in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The event has two parts: a 19-line tournament, in which players compete by skill level, and a multiple-game event in which users can play professionals directly. Inven and Kyunghyang Games said the event is aimed at adult users aged 19 and over. Inven described it as a customer appreciation event. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Online qualifiers for the 19-line tournament run for two weeks, from 27 October to 9 November, on the PC and mobile versions of the game. Players register on the in-game HBF page and play 19-line promotion-and-demotion games to earn HBF points. The top 32 in each of three divisions, strongest, intermediate and beginner, 96 players in all, advance to the finals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
In the finals, the strongest division plays an individual format called hoseon (호선), while the intermediate and beginner divisions play team handicap games called jeopbaduk (접바둑). Total prize money is 21 million won. The strongest-division winner receives 1.5 million won, and each winning team in the intermediate and beginner divisions receives 2 million won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
On the same day, professional players Ko Yoon-seo (고윤서) and Yoon Ra-eun (윤라은) will play users in the multiple-game event. Inven and Kyunghyang Games said applicants can apply on the in-game HBF page during the qualifier period, with 16 chosen by lottery. They said finalists and multiple-game participants will receive confirmation notices on 23 November. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Oh Sang-min (오상민), head of NHN's classic web board business group, said the company would make the festival one that everyone who likes Baduk, including players who have been with the game since 1999, can enjoy online and offline. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The documents present the festival as a fan event for users of NHN's Hangame Baduk & Omok, which the company says has had players since 1999. They give no wider significance beyond the event's prizes and participation details.
Key facts
- NHN announced the 2026 Hangame Baduk Festival (HBF) on 22 October for users of Hangame Baduk & Omok. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The event is organised and run by Allthatmind (올댓마인드) and sponsored by NHN's Hangame Baduk & Omok. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Online qualifiers for the 19-line tournament run from 27 October to 9 November on PC and mobile; the offline event is on 28 November at S Factory building D in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The top 32 players in each of three divisions (strongest, intermediate, beginner), 96 in all, advance to the finals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Total prize money is 21 million won; the strongest-division winner receives 1.5 million won and each winning team in the intermediate and beginner divisions receives 2 million won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Professional players Ko Yoon-seo (고윤서) and Yoon Ra-eun (윤라은) will play users in a multiple-game event on the finals day. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Sixteen multiple-game participants will be chosen by lottery from applicants, according to two outlets. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The festival's offline finals are on 28 November at S Factory building D in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, with total prize money of 21 million won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Online qualifiers run from 27 October to 9 November, and 96 players (top 32 in each of three divisions) advance to the finals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The strongest division plays an individual format (hoseon, 호선) for a 1.5 million won prize; the intermediate and beginner divisions play team handicap-game (jeopbaduk, 접바둑) formats for 2 million won per winning team. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Ko Yoon-seo and Yoon Ra-eun will take part in the professional multiple-game event. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the event is limited to adults aged 19 and over. Two outlets say it targets adult users aged 19 or older; the Yonhap article does not mention an age limit.
- How the 16 multiple-game participants are chosen and when they are told. Only two outlets describe the lottery and the 23 November notice; Yonhap does not.