On October 23, 2026, Epic Games announced that it will host the “2026 EPIC AI MegaJam,” a game jam organized by the company, for four days from November 12 to 15.
A game jam utilizing Unreal Engine and AI, with a grand prize of $7,500 (approximately 1.17 million yen)
The “2026 EPIC AI MegaJam” is a game development event where participants create games using a combination of Unreal Engine or UEFN (Unreal Engine for Fortnite) and any AI tool of their choice. The event will run for four days, from November 12 to 15.The event is open to teams of up to five developers who are 18 years of age or older and have a valid Epic Games account.
The theme for this game jam will be announced during the kickoff stream, which begins at 4:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time on November 12. Participants will use AI tools to create a game based on this theme within four days and submit their finished game, along with gameplay videos and other materials, via itch.io.
For the Grand Prize, the Unreal Engine and UEFN categories will each award $7,500 (approximately 1.17 million yen) for first place, $5,000 (approximately 780,000 yen) for second place, and $2,500 (approximately 390,000 yen) for third place.In addition, cash prizes will be awarded for categories such as Best Student Project, Best Team, and Solo Developer. Projects deemed particularly outstanding will receive up to $50,000 (approximately 7.85 million yen) as a grant to continue development.
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, has long expressed optimism about the potential of AI, and this game jam may serve as a catalyst for unlocking that potential.
Epic announces Unreal Engine AI MegaJam
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Regarding this initiative, on the international forum Reddit, many comments on the announcement post—which referenced the “red pill and blue pill” (a meme derived from the movie *The Matrix* about choosing between seeking the truth and opting for a stable life in ignorance)—were“The idea that the truth has six fingers is in poor taste” and “Is Epic really that obsessed with AI?”—with a generally negative tone prevailing.
Note that this game jam allows a maximum of five human participants, with no limit on the number of AI agents. Given that AI-generated images often result in six fingers, it’s possible that the “sixth finger” refers to an AI agent.
In any case, indie game developers looking to seize this opportunity might want to consider participating in this game jam.
The “2026 EPIC AI MegaJam” will be held for four days, from November 12 to 15.
