May 10 marked the opening of submissions for the WEBTOON 2025 Legends contest, where creators and artists—either solo or in teams—could submit a brand-new WEBTOON series or an existing Canvas series under four categories: Most Epic (Action/Fantasy), Most Feels (Romance/Drama), Most Gripping (Horror/Thriller/Supernatural/Mystery), and Most Laughs (Comedy/Slice of Life). WEBTOON closed the submission window on May 16, after granting a one-day grace period for final entries.
The $1 million prize pool will be split across five placement tiers. The first-place winner will receive $150,000, while 24 fifth-place runners-up will each receive $5,500. Winners and runner-ups will also have the opportunity to continue their series as a WEBTOON Original or pitch their work to become one.
Without a doubt, thousands of creators—including myself and fellow writer Masha—entered the contest. As of June 23, WEBTOON finally revealed the shortlist: creators who must now upload additional episodes to qualify for the final judging round. The final winners will be announced between August and September 2025.
The Shortlist
Out of the hundreds of thousands of entries, only 40 series made it to the shortlist! Below, you’ll find the full list, organized by category, along with links to each series and their creators so you can check them out and show your support.
Most Epic (Action/Fantasy)
- Covenant Once Given (Fantasy) by Akikakie
- Aventale (Fantasy) by Kyuare
- REMNANTAL (Fantasy) by 33_samsam
- Hollow_Infinity_ (Fantasy) by Girim
- QUIVER (Action) by Rodan TM
- I Got Stuck in a Poorly Made Game (Fantasy) by FairyDemon
- Lovely Witch (Fantasy) by Valeria Scavuzzo
- OIN NüD (Fantasy) by Alasxe
- Hex Witch (Fantasy) by GaryVanaka
- Blood Banana (Fantasy) by Hieu May
Most Feels (Romance/Drama)
- Auras (Romance) by Haydendeterra
- Written In Gun Powder (Drama) by Sil ★ Em
- When Cupid Falls (Romance) by Liedith
- Orbiting You (Romance) by Jii_0208
- DandelionTea (Drama) by Skrooli
- Stupid Cupid! (Romance) by Abigrals
- To Eat Your Heart (Drama) by Compote☆٩( ᐛ )و
- Cursed To Love you (Romance) by Johyoo
- Find My Boyfriend (Romance) by DeborahBarkerArt
- Unveiling You (Drama) by Vago_XD
Most Gripping (Horror/Thriller/Mystery/Supernatural)
- Mime (Thriller) by V.Silencio
- INDIGO (Supernatural) by Kejiyaa
- The Hunt For Eden (Horror) by King Katbird
- Library of Infinity (Thriller) by Rociel
- Dead End Demon (Supernatural) by demonologyfun
- The Keeper’s Inn (Supernatural) by M.S Polat
- Detective Lennon (Supernatural) by xmisan
- My Dear Watson (Thriller) by heiMO
- River of Souls (Supernatural) by GhostBunny Comics
- Notes on A Changeling (Horror) by Cloverloy
Most Laughs (Comedy/Slice of Life)
- Not So Fine Artist (Slice of Life) by Pirene
- Simon Says (Comedy) by alcie.c
- Misi (Comedy) by SunnySprouts
- My 2D Crush! (Comedy) by Nindomie
- Nuttyland (Comedy) by Talt Lo
- Cosmic Cubicles (Slice of Life) by Smaye
- Baby Nova (Comedy) by jianXruha
- Friday: Too Much Drama (Comedy) by rizevp
- I Want to Kiss 100 Monster Girls (Comedy) Lucia Cid
- Princess’ Princess (Comedy) by kayaraya studios
What comes next?
For those who didn’t make it to the shortlist, there’s still good news. WEBTOON has encouraged contestants to continue uploading episodes on its self-publishing platform, Canvas. While not every entry advanced, WEBTOON may still reach out to creators and greenlight their series as Originals, or invite them to pitch an Originals version. This has happened before with past contests, proving that not making the shortlist doesn’t mean the journey ends here.
As someone who also participated and didn’t make it to the shortlist, I want to say this: even if your series wasn’t selected, you created something original and meaningful—something you believed had to be shared. That alone is a huge accomplishment. You poured love, effort, and time into a story that now exists in the world, ready to be read. From my own experience, I’ve met many creators with brilliant ideas that never saw the light of day for one reason or another. So the fact that you brought your vision to life is something truly special.
It’s okay to feel disappointed. Let yourself be sad or frustrated, but don’t forget that you’ve made something only you could have created. And now, you can choose to keep going with that story or start a brand new one. You have that power.
As the 40 shortlisted series move forward toward the final round, I encourage everyone to check them out. Support your favorite creators, leave comments, and let them know how much their work means to you. They’ll need every bit of encouragement as they continue their journey to the finals—and beyond.
I’ll be covering the finalists when the time comes. Until then, keep creating, and keep reading!
