Epic Games Sets AI MegaJam for November 12 with $65,000 in Cash Prizes
Epic is pricing AI-assisted development into the competition itself through continuation grants for Unreal Engine and UEFN winners, while its own FAQ keeps AI optional and the rules bar work begun before November 12.
Reporting from 2 sources: Inside, GameBusiness.jp.
Epic Games will hold the 2026 Epic AI MegaJam from November 12 to 15, with production on Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite. Teams may have up to five people, and there is no cap on AI agents. Three main categories and six Modifier categories pay $65,000 in regular cash prizes, plus $50,000 continuation grants. In-person teams from Anthropic, Google, Meshy, OpenAI, and SpaceXSI are slated for San Francisco.
Registration is open to developers 18 or older with an Epic Games account, solo or in teams of up to five. Work on the game itself cannot begin before November 12, and any prompts, scripts, or assets made in advance must be declared. Third-party assets are allowed with a license and a stated source, and Epic recommends checking that coding agents and MCP work before the event.
The in-person side runs November 14 and 15 at Digital Jungle SF in San Francisco, with a ticket and Eventbrite registration required. Online and on-site entries are judged by the same standards, so teams in Japan can enter remotely.
- Best Overall, Unreal Engine: first place $7,500, second $5,000, third $2,500
- Best Overall, UEFN: first place $7,500, second $5,000, third $2,500
- Best Student Project: open to students enrolled in higher education institutions
- Best Team: $5,000 for team works
- Solo Driver: $2,500 for solo development
- Render Royalty: $2,500 for visuals
- Pocket Powerhouse: $2,500 for mobile works, one pick each from Unreal Engine and UEFN
- Glass Box: $2,500 for development logs
- Walkie-Talkie: $2,500 for UEFN works with LLM-driven NPC conversations
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.