Epic AI MegaJam 2026: prep checklist for coding agents

The short version

• What: build a playable game in Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). Pick one; you can't enter with both.
• Tools: any AI tools: coding agents, asset generation, audio, writing. Using AI is optional.
• Teams: solo or up to five people, no limit on agents. Open to developers 18+ with an active Epic Games account.
• Prizes: $65,000 in cash prizes, plus Development Continuation Grants of up to $50,000 per team and sponsor prizes.
• Where: online from anywhere, in person at Digital Jungle in San Francisco on Nov 14–15 (ticket required), or at select Unreal and UEFN community chapters. Online and in-person entries are judged the same way.

Key dates (Central Time)

• Nov 1, 9 AM CT: in-person registration for San Francisco opens on Eventbrite. Space is limited.
• Nov 11, 1 PM CT: kickoff livestream and theme reveal on Twitch, YouTube and X.
• Nov 11, 11 PM CT: the jam starts (Nov 12, 12:00 AM EST).
• Nov 15, 7:59 PM CT: submission deadline (5:59 PM PST). Late submissions are disqualified.
• By Jan 29, 2027: winners announced.

How it's judged

Judges score each entry from 1 to 5 on seven criteria: ambition and innovation, theme, fun factor, gameplay, visuals, level design and progression, and audio. Notice that only one of those is "it runs." Agents are great at getting something on screen fast. They never stop to ask whether it's fun, and that's two of the seven scores.

The prep checklist

The rules let you set up tools, agents and MCP before Nov 12, but not start building your game. Declare any prompts, scripts or assets you made earlier. So everything below is setup, not game code.

1. Get MCP working now. Epic links setup docs for MCP in Unreal Engine and in UEFN on the jam page. Their own tip: getting MCP working on day one costs build time.
2. Write your rules file before kickoff. One AGENTS file every agent on the team reads: engine version, folder layout, "keep the game playable after every change," and the one command that proves it builds. Our AGENTS.md guide covers how to make Claude Code, Codex and Cursor all read the same file. Keep it generic, and declare it in your submission.
3. Practice a packaged build. Unreal teams must submit a packaged build (Windows, macOS, Android or iOS), zipped as TeamName_GameName and under 1 GB; unpackaged projects aren't accepted. UEFN teams submit a private version code, not a live or playtest code. Do a dry run this week with an empty project.
4. Plan the dev log. It's optional, but it's required for the $2,500 Glass Box prize for best dev log. Have your agent append a dated line to a notes file after every session so the log writes itself.
5. Scope small, then polish. Epic's words: "A finished, fun game beats an ambitious broken one." Pick a core loop you can play in 30 seconds by the end of day one.
6. Package by day two. Another Epic tip: do a test build on day two so the last day isn't a surprise.
7. Save an hour for the video. Every entry needs a 30–60 second gameplay video. Show gameplay in the first five seconds.

Prize categories worth a look for agent-heavy teams

• Best Overall for Unreal Engine and for UEFN, and Best Student Project: $7,500 / $5,000 / $2,500 each.
• Solo Driver ($2,500): best game by a solo developer. A solo dev with agents is exactly who this jam is for.
• Glass Box ($2,500): best dev log showing how you built it.
• Walkie-Talkie ($2,500, UEFN): best narrative game with LLM-powered NPCs.
• Development Continuation Grants: $50,000 / $25,000 / $10,000 for top Unreal Engine and UEFN entries.

Full category list and eligibility are in the Official Rules on the jam page. This is a summary; read those before you enter.

Get the jam kit

Our $19 Vibe Coder Game Jam Starter is seven agent-ready templates built for exactly this: a game spec generator, an AGENTS file for game projects, a playtest plan, an "Is It Fun?" review, a juice pass, bug triage and a ship-it kit. They're engine-agnostic prompts and checklists, so they work for an Unreal or UEFN entry. Set them up before Nov 12 and declare them like any other prep. Starting from zero? Grab the free Checkpoint Loop first.

See the $19 jam pack