Verse8, NEXPACE Launch MapleStory Creation Hub, $60,000 Game Jam

Verse8, an AI game-creation platform, said on June 8 that it has launched MSU Space, a dedicated creative hub for MapleStory intellectual property in partnership with NEXPACE, Nexon’s blockchain subsidiary.

The project is the first IP collaboration between the two companies since NEXPACE participated in Verse8’s seed funding round in March. They also kicked off MapleStory Vibe Camp, a global game jam with a total prize pool of $60,000, and opened an environment where users can build games using official MapleStory characters, monsters, items and worlds.

MSU Space is a dedicated game-production space built around the MapleStory IP. Users can create games using only natural-language prompts. They can directly use MapleStory characters, items, backgrounds and background music, while Verse8’s AI-based development tool, Agent 8, automatically converts prompts into game code.

The companies described the project as the first external collaboration under MSU 2.0, the expansion strategy for MapleStory Universe, or MSU. The initiative aims to let users move beyond simply playing games to creating content themselves and participating in the growth of the ecosystem.

"AI is lowering the barriers to game development, making the boundary between players and builders increasingly fluid, and the MapleStory IP is becoming a foundation for them to create and expand together," NEXPACE Chief Executive Officer Hwang Sun-young said. He added that MapleStory Vibe Camp and MSU Space, developed with Verse8, mark an important first step in lowering creative barriers and enabling the community to participate and expand in new ways based on the company’s legacy IP.

MapleStory Vibe Camp will run for about three weeks from June 8 through June 29. Anyone can participate regardless of coding experience. Winners will be chosen based on player retention, community evaluations, scalability and success in attracting outside users. The final winner will be announced on July 22.

Verse8 said the collaboration will accelerate its AI-native IP platform strategy. The company expects AI technology to sharply reduce the time required to build IP-based games, a process that has traditionally taken months to years.

"Until now, building a polished game using an IP on the scale of MapleStory required the capital, production time and specialized developers typically available only to large studios," Verse8 Chief Executive Officer Kevin Lee said. "MSU Space is the first example of lowering that high barrier to entry. Verse8 is helping creators and solo builders with no development background make fully playable IP-based games through natural-language prompts."

Since launching its service in July 2025, Verse8 has recorded 3.5 million monthly active users, more than 5,000 active builders and more than 25,000 cumulative games. In March, it raised $5 million in seed funding from NEXPACE, Story, NEOWIZ and MARBLEX, among others.