Not content with the humiliation it has already received over the vibe coded Epic Games Launcher beta, Epic is keen to pay a whole lot of money to aspiring vibe coders in an AI-focused game jam. The company is promising $65,000 worth of cash prizes and potential $50,000 grants for "standout" projects – assuming, of course, that you can stomach being part of Epic's attempted AI redemption tour.
The 2026 AI MegaJam will take place from November 12 through 15, with registration open on Itch.io, challenging participants to build games using Unreal Engine or UEFN. The basic rules are roughly the same as normal game jams, which challenge indie devs to create fun, functional, small games under tight time constraints. It's a well-worn process that's created the prototypes for indie classics like Celeste, Don't Starve, and The Binding of Isaac.
But the key difference here is that Epic really wants participants to use AI. "Bring any AI tools into your workflow, from asset generation to coding agents. Get creative! Prototype the mechanic you never had time for, or try the art style you weren’t sure you could pull off," the company says in its announcement.
Cash prizes will be awarded in a number of categories, including $2,500 awards for the "best dev log showing how you used AI tools to build your game" and the best game using LLM-driven NPCs with AI conversations.
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