WEBTOON Set to Prime CANVAS in 2026

Let's pick it apart and see what we can glean.

WEBTOON just announced they would be expanding their Creator Programs in 2026 and it might be one of the largest plays for the webtoon creator economy since WEBTOON launched CANVAS.

The notice is available to read on the app, but if you’d rather read it on the web click here.

Okay, ready? Let’s start picking this apart.

The Creator Resource Hub

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.

Prior to going public and refocusing their brand on published works, WEBTOON did spent a fair amount of time cultivating their CANVAS platform to be THE publishing platform for up-and-coming creatives in the webtoon industry. This, combined with their influencer program, gave them a lot more exposure on social media as a publishing platform for creatives instead of targeting just readers.

Nowhere was this more evident than their Youtube channel which featured content like WEBTOON Academy and Creator Summit. The vast majority of which was last uploaded in 2022.

While the idea of providing the internet with resources on how to publish on WEBTOON was a great idea, it would be better if it were actually hosted on WEBTOON rather than another site or platform altogether.

Just like Youtube, TikTok, and Meta, who all have their own Creator Resource Hubs, it makes sense that WEBTOON would take stock of their contemporaries and follow suit, giving their current “hub” a much needed update.

The Creator Residency Program and the VIP Program

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.

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.

The Creator Residency program makes sense given that KENAZ (another Korean publisher) launched their own program for French creators to work and study in Korea under the tutelage of Korean webtoon PDs and creators.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the KOCCA funds towards Global Market Development didn’t go to this in 2025 during their pilot program. Naver isn’t the first to attempt this program, but they certainly have the resources to keep it alive and running.

The announcement of a VIP program… is definitely more for PR than anything else. Anyone who’s a VIP at WEBTOON is likely to be invited to Korea at some point or another. Having it in writing gives all the creators on CANVAS hope that they’ll be one of the next few to get there as well.

A Useful Creator Dashboard. Dare We Hope?

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.

One of the biggest issues that creators have with platforms is the lack of data that they’re given about the titles they publish. Whereas other UGC mediums like TikTok and Youtube offer in-depth breakdowns of data, viewer demographics, and purchase rates, the webtoon industry as a whole hasn’t traditionally allowed that level of review for publishers or creators. This isn’t just overseas creators in North America or Europe, but Korea as well.

What.

To be honest, this has been a long time coming.

Other platforms like Youtube and TikTok don’t just offer viewer metrics and demographics data, they tell you what percentage of your video your viewers watched not to mention how many views came from playlists.

Being able to tell how far readers are getting through episodes as well as how retention is working would be a massive win for creators, publishers, and anyone else. Not to mention, it would be a massive advantage over publishing on competing platforms.

If WEBTOON actually gives creators access to a user data dashboard that goes further than monthly and daily views, it was be an industry first and could lead to more creatives making WEBTOON their publisher of choice.

“Improved Monetization”

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…

This is the big one.

Honestly, there are two possibilities here and it’s more than likely that WEBTOON will employ some combination of both.

First, WEBTOON will essentially begin optimizing ads on their platform allowing for (1) more ads to be shown on CANVAS and (2) increased ad revenue which will be (partially) passed on to the creator. It’ll likely allow to adjustable ad density and possibly require creatives to notify the platform of any content that would be objectionable to advertisers.

Second is utilizing the UGC creative market to activate missions or branded advertising within the content being published. This might be along the lines of TikTok’s Creator Marketplace which encourages creators to complete “missions” by creating videos that promote brands, products, or advertisers through their monetization hub.

This could be similar to the Monster Hunter Wilds branded webcomic contest from January 2025. The contest was a relatively weak one considering the winner received a merch kit and digital code for the Monster Hunter: Wilds game in exchange for a 5-episode mini series.

But it makes sense to advertise branded events like these to WEBTOON’s CANVAS creators specifically, instead of targeting the WEBTOON audience at large.

Also, most importantly, without a hero banner on their homepage, there isn’t anywhere to put events like these anymore. So having a Creator Resource Hub populated with smaller events like these would (a) increase monetization options for creators while (b) increasing marketing revenue and opportunites for WEBTOON.

Final Thoughts

I think a lot of the improvements are a long time coming. Not just because WEBTOON needs positive PR, but because the webtoon creative market has never felt more stagnant and that’s mostly due to Big Green’s inactivity on the CANVAS front.