As generative AI revolutionizes the content industry overall, innovation in development processes using AI technology is also attracting attention in the gaming industry. Particularly as the subculture game market grows rapidly, demand for high-quality 3D characters increases, but the limitations of traditional production methods are becoming clear.

UBIS is a subculture game specialist startup founded in 2022 that focused on exactly this problem. Founded by CEO Shin Jun-ho, who was interested in games since childhood and worked as a software developer, UBIS developed ‘UBIS AI AGENT,’ which reduces the time required to produce one 3D character from 230 hours (1 month on business days) to 115 hours (5 days) using AI technology. The key differentiation is that beyond simple 2D-3D conversion, the AI infers the worldview and story contained in the original artwork to generate 3D characters matching that concept and provides them as resources that can be used directly in Unreal Engine.

UBIS is proving this technology’s effectiveness—by directly applying UBIS AI AGENT to the subculture MMORPG <Genesis2> released in 2024, they recorded 2nd place in domestic popularity rankings and achieved top grade in the Google Changgu 6th program. Completing MMORPG development in just 6 months when it typically takes 1-3 years is a noteworthy achievement in the industry.

In May 2025 at Play Expo, UBIS unveiled a teaser for their new work <Luna>, also developed with their UBIS AI AGENT. Developed with the ambition to surpass Hoyoverse’s ‘Genshin Impact’—a global Chinese game company reportedly generating over $4.3T USD (6 trillion KRW) in cumulative sales since 2022—the game is currently receiving much attention while signing NDAs with major domestic game companies and negotiating publishing contracts.

UBIS’s strength lies not only in technology. CEO Shin emphasizes, “UBIS’s core competitiveness is that as a team composed of IT development professionals with 18+ years of experience and game industry veterans with 25+ years of experience, we possess both AI development capabilities and game development capabilities simultaneously.”

UBIS currently operates business through customized outsourcing services (received and delivered 10 3D character orders from a game developer in May 2025) and plans to transition to SaaS subscription services in 2026. They plan to set a price of $7.1K USD (10 million KRW) per 3D character, which is evaluated as very competitive compared to traditional hiring costs, and attention is focused on market response.

Having attracted seed investment from Pacer Partners in September 2024, UBIS is currently conducting a Pre-A round seeking to attract $714K USD (1 billion KRW) in investment. They’re approaching the October 31, 2025 global early access release of <Luna> on the PC platform Steam, targeting total sales of $1.8M USD (2.5 billion KRW) this year including $1.4M USD (2 billion KRW) in game sales and $357K USD (500 million KRW) in AI AGENT sales. After transitioning to SaaS in 2026, they expect sales exceeding $3.6M USD (5 billion KRW).

UBIS is receiving various support as a resident of Pangyo Gyeonggi Culture Creation Hub under Gyeonggi Content Agency’s support. CEO Shin emphasized, “We received great help in finding an office, and due to Pangyo’s characteristics, we could meet various companies. If you’re a startup, I strongly recommend Pangyo Hub.”

UBIS aims to position itself as an innovative AI company leading content convergence, not just a game developer. With plans to preoccupy the still-early-stage AI-based 3D modeling market and keep open AI AGENT expansion into various fields including games, animation, and video content, there’s reason to pay attention to UBIS’s journey leading content industry innovation in the AI era.

What problem is UBIS trying to solve?

The problem our team is trying to solve is the time and cost required in the character production process, which is most important when developing full 3D subculture games. Generally, it takes a person 230 hours to produce one character type. This corresponds to 1 month on business days, and labor costs also increase proportionally with the period.

We experienced this problem directly and completed developing a solution called ‘UBIS AI AGENT’ using AI technology through R&D to solve it. This agent can generate 3D characters from 2D original artwork alone.

How does UBIS solve this problem?

UBIS is a startup specializing in developing subculture games. Our goal is to produce 3D characters—most important in subculture games—at low cost and in a short period.

We’ve completed developing ‘UBIS AI AGENT,’ which automatically generates 3D characters within 115 hours with just 2D original artwork, utilizing AI technologies including deep learning and multimodal. Unlike when people work, 3D characters can now be produced in 5 days regardless of business days.

We’re proud that this is innovative content convergence AI technology, as there are hardly any companies that perfectly generate 3D characters with AI technology. Through this technology, we aim to contribute to markets in various fields requiring 3D characters, such as small game companies and animation production companies.

What are UBIS’s products/services and what is the current progress?

We completed developing UBIS AI AGENT and directly generated and applied 3D characters to the subculture MMORPG game <Genesis2> in 2024.

From direct experience, while development periods average 1 to 3 years, we could rapidly complete developing an MMORPG genre game in just 6 months.

Through this direct experience, we proved UBIS AI AGENT’s AI technology capabilities, and from January 2025, we’ve been developing the subculture MMORPG <Luna> by advancing this technology.

Through the 2024 <Genesis2> global release, we recorded achievements including 2nd place in domestic popularity rankings and received top grade in the Google Changgu 6th program.

What is UBIS’s competitiveness and differentiation?

We judge that about 3 competitors currently exist. However, competitors’ AI technology simply converts 2D artwork to 3D characters, so people must actually do additional work on the generated 3D characters to fit their projects.

In contrast, our UBIS AI AGENT uses the advanced multimodal-centered content convergence AI technology mentioned earlier to infer the worldview and story held by 2D artwork and generate 3D characters matching that concept.

The 3D characters generated this way have innovative competitiveness and differentiation in that they can be used directly as resources in game development engines Unreal/Unity. People’s direct work time can be reduced and costs can also be minimized.

What is UBIS’s business model?

UBIS AI AGENT service is currently conducting business as a customized outsourcing service. By 2026, we plan to materialize it as a SaaS subscription service that customers can use directly.

For SaaS subscription services, we’re setting the price at about $7.1K USD (10 million KRW) per 3D character generation. The price of $7.1K USD (10 million KRW) per 3D character is very reasonable considering the period and cost of hiring people to produce them. This is something we could confirm through the 3D character production process we experienced directly.

For the customized service mentioned earlier, we have a track record of receiving orders for 10 3D character types from a game developer in May 2025 and delivering them. This is evaluated as recognition of UBIS AI AGENT’s quality.

What achievements has UBIS made so far?

Through the May 2025 Play Expo game event, we first unveiled the FGT version of <Luna>, currently being developed using UBIS AI AGENT.

We showed users and publishers who played the FGT version that Korean subculture games have quality that can compete with China, and it became a big topic within the event.

As a result, major large game companies expressed interest in publishing contracts in May 2025, and we completed signing NDAs. We’re currently negotiating publishing contracts with the <Luna> version 1 under development.

In September 2024, we attracted seed investment from Pacer Partners after UBIS AI AGENT’s potential and technical capabilities were recognized, and in 2025, we’re continuing investment attraction at the Pre-A stage.

What is the UBIS founding team’s competitiveness?

UBIS is composed of people from the IT industry, starting with a CEO with 18 years of S/W development experience. Each leader-level member has over 25 years of game industry development experience.

The team’s capabilities with 18+ years of experience centered on the CEO support the technological capabilities. With the highest level of IT development experience, we completed developing UBIS AI AGENT and are continuously challenging ourselves with subculture MMORPGs that are difficult to develop with similar-sized staff.

We’re currently being recognized by various related companies by advancing technology to compete with Chinese games. There aren’t many companies with both AI development capabilities and game development capabilities simultaneously.

We prepared these aspects from the beginning of game development, and as a result, we’re showing current achievements. The greatest competitiveness is the leaders and team members composed of multi-year experts based on UBIS AI AGENT technology.

Give three reasons why UBIS should receive investment!

First, as a content convergence AI developer, we’re preoccupying advantages in the 3D modeling market.

Second, we have the capability to rapidly develop large-scale MMORPGs with UBIS AI AGENT technology developed by our company.

Third, the convergence of the previous two enables rapidly releasing high-quality games.

We’re one of the few companies developing high-quality subculture MMORPGs rarely seen domestically. To compensate for the long development periods characteristic of the game genre, we solved problems experienced directly with UBIS AI AGENT and applied them to game development.

We also developed considering UBIS AI AGENT’s business model going forward, and think it’s an important business for company growth.

UBIS will become an innovative AI company leading content convergence beyond simply being a company developing games. By preoccupying advantages in the 3D modeling market still in its starting stage, we can showcase results of content convergence called games to many companies.

On October 31, 2025, we’ll globally release <Luna>, applied with advanced UBIS AI AGENT, as early access on the PC platform Steam. This year’s game sales are expected to be about $1.4M USD (2 billion KRW), and customized services through UBIS AI AGENT are expected to be about $357K USD (500 million KRW).

We’re targeting total sales of $1.8M USD (2.5 billion KRW), and in 2026, we expect sales exceeding $3.6M USD (5 billion KRW) by transitioning to final SaaS subscription services.

What advantages of Pangyo Gyeonggi Culture Creation Hub would you like to recommend?

We were selected to move in July 2024 and entered Pangyo Hub. The biggest advantage seems to be the benefits of “Pangyo’s” regional characteristics. The best part was being able to freely meet with external companies. For startups, enormous funds go into finding offices, but it was good to be able to operate without doing that. If you’re a startup, I strongly recommend Pangyo Hub residency.

Is there anything else you’d especially like to convey?

I express respect to all companies struggling for the growth of Korean enterprises. For startups, it’s a very difficult time and financially the most difficult period. We must continuously solve funding problems and grow our companies. If the government supports these aspects just a little more, I think startups that continue challenging themselves might improve somewhat. Practical support from the government and local governments is desperately needed, and I also look forward to discerning investment from investors.