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Kakao Entertainment is consolidating its webtoon and web novel production arms into a single company, while Kakao Games is preparing the global launch of Guardian Maiden. A figure based on kakao's art book illustration is scheduled for April 2027.
Synthesized from 4
Yomimono stories · updated
Aug 20
Kakao Entertainment announced on August 14 that it will merge three wholly owned story content subsidiaries: Samyang C&C, Intime, and Pilyeon Management. The companies approved the merger at board meetings on August 12 and plan to complete it by the end of the year. The merged company will keep the Samyang C&C name, led by CEO Sung-taek Cha. The three firms develop webtoons and web novels across romance fantasy and martial arts genres, covering production, publishing, merchandise, and adaptations into live-action and animation.
Kakao Games signed a global publishing contract with Kong Studios on July 28, 2026 for the new title Guardian Maiden. The game is a 2D pixel art RPG in development for mobile and PC, set on the continent of Midterra. Kakao Games has acquired the rights to operate the global service and aims for an official release within 2026. Kakao Games co-CEO Lee Si-woo called Kong Studios a company that develops games with a unique worldview and high completion, and said the two companies have worked together for a long time.
Kakao Entertainment also launched Tomb Raider King: Endline, a sequel to the hit franchise, on Kakao Page. The webtoon debuted July 5, followed by the web novel July 6. The anime adaptation began airing in Japan on July 8, directed by Seung Wook Woo at STUDIO EEK, with Crunchyroll streaming. Separately, HOTVENUS is releasing a 1/6 scale figure of Yotsuno Wakaba, an illustration by kakao from the art book 'Under wears4' by Melonbooks, scheduled for April 2027.
Key facts
- Merger announcement
- Kakao Entertainment announced on August 14 that it will merge Samyang C&C, Intime, and Pilyeon Management into a single company. ↗
- Merger approval and completion
- The companies approved the merger at board meetings on August 12 and plan to complete it by the end of the year. ↗
- Merged company name and CEO
- The merged company will keep the Samyang C&C name, led by CEO Sung-taek Cha. ↗
- Global publishing deal
- Kakao Games signed a global publishing contract with Kong Studios for Guardian Maiden on July 28, 2026. ↗
- Guardian Maiden platforms
- Guardian Maiden is a 2D pixel art RPG in development for mobile and PC. ↗
- Guardian Maiden release window
- Kakao Games aims for an official release of Guardian Maiden within 2026. ↗
- Tomb Raider King sequel launch
- Tomb Raider King: Endline launched on Kakao Page, with the webtoon debuting July 5 and the web novel July 6. ↗
- Anime adaptation
- The anime adaptation began airing in Japan on July 8, directed by Seung Wook Woo at STUDIO EEK, with Crunchyroll streaming. ↗
- Figure release
- HOTVENUS is releasing a 1/6 scale figure of Yotsuno Wakaba, an illustration by kakao from the art book 'Under wears4', scheduled for April 2027. ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Noted
- kakao is the illustrator of Yotsuno Wakaba from the art book 'Under wears4'. · 2026-08-14
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/kakao.
CC BY 4.0.
All coverage
6h ago
Kakao Entertainment will close its North American webtoon and webnovel platform Tapas and merge its two South Korean platforms, Kakao Page and Kakao Webtoon, into a single service centered on Kakao Page by the end of 2026. The company plans to notify publishers and rights holders about the Tapas shutdown on Tuesday, covering the service end date, content management and settlements, with no details yet on user refunds or how content and user data will be handled. In South Korea, the consolidation will gather content, user data and about 16,000 original IPs onto Kakao Page. Kakao Entertainment is expected to announce a detailed transition schedule for users of both services on September 29. Most Kakao Webtoon reading histories, remaining cash balances and unused paid reading passes are expected to transfer to Kakao Page, with separate guidance promised on which assets qualify and how the transfers work.
1d ago
Tapas will end service on March 31, 2027, and an updated FAQ says unlocked episodes and unspent Ink balances become inaccessible that day. Tapas stopped selling Ink and disabled free-currency earning on Oct. 1. Purchases cannot transfer to Kakao Page or Kakao Webtoon, and virtual currency is non-refundable. Personal data exports are available but exclude saved comics and files.
Sep 24
TurtleMe, the author of The Beginning After the End, said the future of his series is unclear after Kakao Entertainment announced the shutdown of Tapas. Kakao confirmed the closure on September 22, 2026, with operations set to wind down by the end of the year. The press release did not give a timeline or explain what will happen to the titles hosted on the platform. According to Animehunch, neither Tapas employees nor the artists were told before Kakao went to the press. TurtleMe wrote on his official X account that he is still in shock and does not know what comes next. He said he will do everything in his power to keep The Beginning After the End and Soul Forged going, and asked readers to follow creators on their social accounts to keep supporting them beyond Tapas. The platform reportedly hosts over 100,000 titles from 75,000 creators.
Aug 28
Kakao Games announced on August 4 that it will work with webtoon studio The Grimm Entertainment to develop and publish games based on its popular comic and webtoon properties. The Grimm Entertainment owns IPs including Manager Kim and Lookism, and is known for Viral Hit, which inspired an anime and a Japanese live-action adaptation. The companies aim to attract global interest through game adaptations.
Aug 21
Kakao Games announced it will launch Supercat's The World of Dokkaebi, an MMORPG based on the web novel Chronicles of the Demon-Slaying Cultivator, in October. The game blends 2D pixel-art characters with 3D environments, draws on Korean folklore, and is set 300 years before the novel. It features class-free combat and guild content, and launches on PC and mobile with cross-platform support.
Aug 17
Kakao Entertainment announced on August 14 that it will merge three wholly owned story content subsidiaries: Samyang C&C, Intime, and Pilyeon Management. The companies approved the merger at board meetings on August 12 and plan to complete it by the end of the year. The merged company will keep the Samyang C&C name, led by CEO Sung-taek Cha. The three firms develop webtoons and web novels across romance fantasy and martial arts genres, covering production, publishing, merchandise, and adaptations into live-action and animation.
Aug 14
HOTVENUS is releasing a 1/6 scale figure of Yotsuno Wakaba, an illustration by kakao from the art book 'Under wears4' by Melonbooks. The figure is scheduled for April 2027 and includes alternate face and lower body parts, plus an illustration postcard bonus.
Aug 3
Kakao Games announced on July 28, 2026 that it has signed a global publishing contract with Kong Studios for the new title Guardian Maiden. The game is a 2D pixel art RPG in development for mobile and PC, set on the continent of Midterra where humans, elves, and beastmen coexist. The story follows a hero and a holy maiden who join forces to fight evil forces. Kakao Games has acquired the rights to operate the global service for Guardian Maiden and aims for an official release within 2026. Kakao Games co-CEO Lee Si-woo called Kong Studios a company that develops games with a unique worldview and high completion, and said the two companies have worked together for a long time. Kong Studios CEO Seok Gwang-won said the game consolidates the studio's experience in dot graphics, battle action, and 2D pixel art RPGs, and called Kakao Games a reliable partner. The announcement was covered by 4Gamer.net, Inside, and Game Spark.
Jul 9
Kakao Entertainment launched Tomb Raider King: Endline, a sequel to the hit franchise, on Kakao Page. The webtoon debuted July 5, followed by the web novel July 6. The sequel continues the story of Joo-heon Seo after the original series. The anime adaptation also began airing in Japan on July 8, directed by Seung Wook Woo at STUDIO EEK, with Crunchyroll streaming.