UNSEEN 2nd Cohort Completion Ceremony On-Site Sketch 2024-07-11

Active Communication and Participation—The Beginning of Growth as Developers

On Friday, June 28, the completion ceremony for the second cohort of "UNSEEN" was held at Smilegate Future Lab. UNSEEN is an educational program designed to train Unreal Engine programmers, jointly hosted by Smilegate Future Lab and Epic Games Korea. Smilegate Newsroom visited the ceremony to hear from the trainees who are dreaming of becoming Unreal developers and embarking on a new chapter.

A Platform for Sharing Insights: The Mini Conference

The ceremony began with a mini conference and showcase, where trainees shared technical insights and project outcomes discovered over four months of trial and error. From the morning, the Future Lab was filled with bustling trainees preparing for the event—some finalizing their presentations, others easing their nerves during rehearsals.

Six trainees, including Kim Hyun-jun and Song Soo-young, took the stage at the mini conference to share the technical insights they gained through their UNSEEN projects. 

Fellow trainees listened attentively and actively engaged in spirited discussions by asking insightful questions. Trainee Kim Hyun-jun shared, “Opportunities to share insights among developers are rare, so it was especially meaningful that UNSEEN encouraged open exchange of experiences and knowledge. Sharing the insights I gained made me even more passionate about growing as a developer.” 

Through their honest reflections on problem-solving and their in-depth technical perspectives, the presenters showcased the true value of the UNSEEN program. 

Showcasing Passion-Fueled Projects for the First Time

Next came the showcase of game projects that the trainees had planned and developed themselves. With Smilegate staff members also in attendance, the trainees proudly presented the games they had built over the past four months.

Trainee Kwak In-young shared, “I feel especially attached to this project because it was created through collaboration and feedback with my peers. Presenting the project to new audiences and receiving their comments was a valuable experience that will help us improve the game further.”

Smilegate’s Deputy Lead Mentor Kim Sung-soo remarked, “At first, I was worried whether the trainees could complete their projects, but seeing how well they wrapped everything up made me proud and deeply moved. Honestly, I think they’ve surpassed me now.”

Mini Interview with Trainees Kim So-Yeon & Park Sung-Woo

“UNSEEN is a Time for Growing Together”

UNSEEN 2nd Cohort Graduate, Kim So-Yeon

Q. Please introduce yourself.

Kim So-Yeon Hello, I'm Kim So-Yeon. I used to work in aviation data development, but I wanted to become a game client developer. So, I left my job and started studying game development. When I found out about the opportunity to learn Unreal Engine through UNSEEN, I applied right away. 

Park Sung-Woo Hello, I'm Park Sung-Woo, a graduate of the UNSEEN 2nd cohort. I applied to the program because I thought it would be a great way to systematically learn Unreal Engine. It truly became a time for me to grow as a developer. 

Q. Could you tell us about the game you developed during the UNSEEN 2nd cohort?

Kim So-Yeon I created a multiplayer PVP team-based action game called WarKing. In WarKing, up to six players are divided into Red and Blue teams and engage in strategic battles to capture control points using a variety of skills. We used Unreal Engine 5’s Game Ability System (GAS) to implement multiplayer functionality. 

Park Sung-Woo I developed an isometric hack-and-slash RPG titled Bloodforge: Eternal Night (or Eternal Night for short). It tells the story of a player fighting off hordes of zombies, leveling up through combat, and ultimately growing into a zombie hunter. 

Q. What did you see as the strengths or unique aspects of the UNSEEN 2nd cohort compared to other programs?

Kim So-Yeon One big difference is that it's a program run by Smilegate! I already knew that Smilegate supports developers to grow the indie game ecosystem, and that really moved me—it made me feel more attached to the company. (laughs) Another unique point was the lectures by Professor Lee Deuk-Woo, who’s well-known for teaching Unreal Engine. I also appreciated the two-week sprint focused on collaboration and mentoring. Thanks to all of this, I was able to fully immerse myself in an Unreal Engine-based project.

UNSEEN 2nd Cohort Graduate, Park Sung-Woo

Park Sung-Woo I think UNSEEN stands out for its professionalism. Just the fact that Professor Lee Deuk-Woo designed the curriculum and that active developers participated as mentors shows that. There are actually many differences between code written for learning and code used in the real industry, and the mentors clearly pointed those out. They helped us identify inefficient methods during development, which allowed me to deeply dive into Unreal Engine in a short amount of time. 

Q. Could you share how you felt your own growth during the UNSEEN 2nd cohort?

Kim So-Yeon I really felt that I grew together with the other trainees. There were times when I gave advice based on my understanding and also refined my project by listening to others’ perspectives. By teaching each other what we knew well and helping fill in gaps, we were able to grow together.

Park Sung-Woo Giving and receiving feedback not only improved my development skills but also enhanced my communication skills as a programmer. Explaining the project to others felt like a form of self-teaching, and through that, I could really feel myself growing. 

Q. What advice would you give to the next cohort of UNSEEN trainees?

Kim So-Yeon I hope they follow the course at their own pace. There will always be highly skilled participants, but don’t feel discouraged by comparison. What matters is not the speed of learning but how you learn. It’s important to become familiar with Unreal Engine in your own rhythm and style. Also, engaging with others really helps. While studying Unreal, everyone ends up facing similar challenges. Sharing those challenges and finding solutions together allowed us to grow collectively. 

Park Sung-Woo You need an active mindset. The more actively trainees participate in the program, the more they’ll gain from it. One of UNSEEN’s strengths is its many forms of communication. When you’re stuck, you can hear different approaches to solving the problem and follow the direction suggested by mentors to find alternatives. If there are opportunities like sprint reviews or Agile workshops where you can present in front of others, I highly recommend taking part in them.