From Classroom to Console: A Week Inside the Gen.G x Utah Game Camp

What does it take to turn a love for games into a real future?

For one week this January, students from across Korea didn’t just imagine the answer—they lived it. From January 12 to 16, the University of Utah Asia Campus partnered with Gen.G Global Academy to host an immersive game camp that brought together top-ranked academics, hands-on projects, and the esports industry under one roof.

Held at the University of Utah Asia Campus in Incheon and Gen.G’s flagship esports venue GGX in Seoul, the camp offered middle and high school students an experience that felt less like a workshop—and more like a preview of university life.

Participants stepped straight into real University of Utah game courses, following the curriculum taught in the university’s internationally top-ranked Games program. Instead of watching from the sidelines, students worked in teams to design and prototype original game concepts, learning how ideas evolve into playable experiences.

Camp participants join a mentor-led session, learning core game design concepts through interactive discussion and examples from popular games.

Students work in teams to sketch ideas and build early game prototypes, applying what they learned through hands-on, project-based learning.

Guiding them through the process was Professor Dae Hong Kim from the University of Utah’s Games Division, alongside student mentors from the major. Together, they recreated the rhythm of an actual college classroom—brainstorming, iterating, testing, and presenting—through a project-based learning approach that emphasized collaboration and creative problem-solving.

Under the guidance of Professor Dae Hong Kim from the University of Utah Asia Campus’s Games program, camp participants explore game mechanics and design through hands-on practice and interactive gameplay activities.

Professor Dae Hong Kim delivers a talk at Gen.G’s GGX Seoul, sharing insights on game creation and how skills learned through game design can translate into broader digital careers.

But the camp didn’t stop at development alone. Through professional esports coaching sessions and scrimmage matches led by Gen.G Global Academy, students explored the competitive side of gaming and gained a broader understanding of how esports fits into the global game industry. Career talks and mentoring sessions rounded out the experience, helping students connect classroom learning to real-world possibilities.

Participants attend a joint seminar hosted by the University of Utah Asia Campus and Gen.G Global Academy at GGX Seoul, learning about game-related majors, academic pathways, and scholarship opportunities.

What truly set the camp apart, however, was its focus on what comes next.

Outstanding project teams received official certificates from the University of Utah Asia Campus, along with scholarship opportunities tied to future enrollment. Students who later choose to enroll at the Asia Campus may be eligible for scholarships of up to $5,000 per year, for a total of up to $15,000 over three years, turning strong performance at camp into meaningful academic support.

Participants celebrate the completion of the University of Utah Asia Campus x Gen.G Game Camp, holding certificates awarded for their project work and teamwork.

“This program was created for students who are seriously thinking about a future in games,” said Gregory Hill, Chief Administrative Officer of the University of Utah Asia Campus. “By experiencing one of the world’s leading game education programs firsthand—and seeing how project performance can translate into scholarship opportunities—students can begin to picture a real path forward. That’s exactly the kind of practical, future-focused education we aim to provide.”

Gen.G Global Academy shared that vision, emphasizing that today’s gaming and esports industries demand creativity, technical skills, and a global mindset—qualities the camp was designed to cultivate from the start.