WEBTOON Announces Significant Expansion of its Creator Programs in 2026 to Champion Talent and Fuel Creative Careers

A new suite of programs will empower more Creators to achieve their dreams on WEBTOON, with expanded monetization opportunities, international creator engagement, and more

After a successful pilot program in 2025, WEBTOON's new Creator Residency will officially roll out in 2026

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:WBTN), a global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms, today announced a major expansion of its Creator Programs in 2026, offering more tools, support, and new opportunities to build a career on WEBTOON. Rolling out throughout 2026, WEBTOON's new suite of Creator support initiatives will include expanded monetization opportunities, new convention and event support, and new educational programming for career development. WEBTOON's new Creator initiatives will kick off with a Creator Residency program, officially launching in Q1 2026.

Combining hands-on support, opportunities to connect with fellow storytellers, and new ways to grow creatively and professionally, WEBTOON's expanded Creator Programs will empower Creators to take their work and careers to the next level. In 2026, WEBTOON will launch new and improved monetization for CANVAS Creators to earn money from their work, alongside a new dashboard that will make it easier for Creators to understand their series performance. More details about new monetization and dashboard features will be shared in early 2026.

To help Creators get closer to their fandoms, WEBTOON will increase its investment in Creators at key industry events, bringing more Creators to major US conventions where they can meet and grow their fandoms. For the first time, WEBTOON will also expand its on-the-ground presence at fan conventions in select international markets outside the US, Korea, and Japan, hosting Creator meet-ups and offering portfolio reviews for international Creators in Europe and Southeast Asia.

To better support Creators, in 2026, WEBTOON's Creator Care teams will start digital Open Houses for creators who are new to the platform. Creators can meet with WEBTOON's Creator Care and Editorial teams to discuss their goals and how to make the most of their WEBTOON journey. WEBTOON will also launch a redesigned Creator Resource Hub, where a new video series will highlight creator experiences and success stories, offering practical tips and inspiration from some of WEBTOON'S most accomplished creators.

"Creators are the heart of WEBTOON, and everything we do begins with their passion, their stories, and their trust," said Yongsoo Kim, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global WEBTOON at WEBTOON Entertainment. "As we look ahead to 2026, we're expanding our investment in Creators at every phase of their journey, from emerging talent to established voices. We've spent 2025 listening to Creators all over the world, piloting new programs that can help Creators achieve their goals, and we're thrilled to expand these initiatives in 2026. Our goal is simple: to give creators the support, tools, and opportunities they need to build the careers they dream of on WEBTOON."

Introducing the WEBTOON Creator Residency Program and Korea Trip

WEBTOON's revamped Creator Programs will kick off with a new Creator Residency. Held twice a year, the Creator Residency program will invite Original Creators from the English-language service to a two-week in-person workshop at the company's LA headquarters. Groups of up to nine Creators will attend an immersive development experience offering unprecedented access to WEBTOON's editorial resources and expertise. Residency participants will work closely with WEBTOON editors in dedicated story-building sessions, attend development workshops, and meet with teams across the company for a deeper look at WEBTOON's offerings and ecosystem. Designed to give creators the time, focus, and hands-on support they need to refine their craft, WEBTOON will hold two Creator Residencies in 2026, with applications for the first session open on December 18, 2026. Creators can apply via the Creator Portal.

Alongside the Creator Residency program, WEBTOON will introduce a VIP recognition program for select creators, inviting them to Korea to experience the home of webcomics, visit WEBTOON's Korean office, meet industry leaders, and connect with global talent.

WEBTOON's Creator Residency will formally launch after a year-long pilot program that hosted 23 creators in 2025. Pilot program participants included globally-renowned WEBTOON Creators Junepurrr (SubZero), instantmiso (Siren's Lament, Fae Trapped), Ucheomaaa (Vibe Check!), SLEEPACROSS (Hand Jumper), and others, along with several winners from the 2025 Webcomic Legends Contest. Over the course of the program, creators received dedicated 1:1 time with their editors, joined small-group workshops on topics like writing and building sustainable production workflows, and even took part in complimentary physical therapy sessions to support physical well-being.

"I've been with WEBTOON for a really long time, and everyone who works behind the scenes, you can feel how passionate they are about helping creators tell their stories," said instantmiso, creator of Siren's Lament, Fae Trapped, and more. "The Creator Residency Program has been such a validating experience - coming to LA with other creators, talking about our favorite parts of being WEBTOON creators, hearing their processes, how similar they are, how different they are. Just feeling inspired by the work happening at WEBTOON. It's been incredibly enriching."

"Even if you've been working in comics for years, there's always something new to learn. There's always someone with a different point of view who approaches things differently, and the Creator Residency Program was an opportunity for exactly that," said Arechan, creator of Señorita Cometa. "It was a really nice way to learn more, prepare for a new series, grow as an artist, and grow together as a community with other creators."

More information about the Creator Residency program and other new Creator support initiatives will be shared in the coming months.

About WEBTOON Entertainment

WEBTOON Entertainment is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators.

With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON Entertainment's passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON Entertainment adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, and the company's content partners include Discord, HYBE, and DC Comics, among many others.

With approximately 155 million monthly active users, WEBTOON Entertainment's IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned brands and platforms include WEBTOON, Wattpad--the world's leading webnovel platform--WEBTOON Productions, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE MANGA, and eBookJapan, among others.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251211354850/en/

PR Contact:

Jacquelyn Brazzale, Senior PR Manager at WEBTOON ([email protected])