Epic Games announces AI MegaJam 2026 with prize pool of $65,000
Epic Games has announced the AI MegaJam 2026, a four-day game development competition that will give developers a chance to build games with the help of AI. The event is scheduled to take place from November 12 to 15, with participants competing for $65,000 in cash prizes, additional sponsor rewards and development grants worth up to $50,000 per team.
Developers can participate individually or form teams of up to five people. They can use any AI tools they choose alongside Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). Although AI is encouraged, its usage is not mandatory.
AI MegaJam 2026: Dates, Categories and Prize Pool
The competition is open to participants from anywhere in the world. Developers can also attend an in-person event at Digital Jungle in San Francisco on November 14 and 15. The competition’s theme will be revealed during a livestream on November 11, one day before development begins.
The main prize categories include Best Overall for Unreal Engine, Best Overall for UEFN and Best Student Project. First-place winners in each category will receive $7,500 while second and third standing teams will get $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.
Additional awards will recognise different aspects of game development. These include Best Team, Solo Driver for individual developers, Render Royalty for visuals, Pocket Powerhouse for mobile games, Glass Box for development logs and Walkie-Talkie for narrative-driven UEFN games featuring AI-powered characters.
Beyond the cash prizes, standout projects built with Unreal Engine or UEFN can receive development continuation grants of up to $50,000 to support further development after the competition.
Participants must submit a playable game, along with a 30-60 second gameplay video and other required details. Developers using Unreal Engine must submit a packaged build, while UEFN participants must provide a private version code for their finished project.
