Epic Games Offering Rs 47 Lakh To Use AI To Develop New Video Game

Epic Games is offering up to Rs 47 lakh ($50,000) in grants and cash prizes for developers who create a video game using artificial intelligence (AI) and itss in-house engines. The opportunity is part of the newly announced 2026 AI Mega Jam, a four-day competition kicking off on November 12. Participants can compete in teams of up to five humans alongside unlimited AI agents to build a playable game using Unreal Engine or the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).

Participants are allowed to use and integrate any AI tool into their workflow, ranging from asset generation to coding. The four-day jam from November 12-15 is open to remote participants. An in-person event will take place in San Francisco on November 14 and 15, featuring teams from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and other companies.

"Jam online from anywhere, with your local game dev community, or in person in San Francisco at Digital Jungle, where you'll build alongside teams from Anthropic, Google, Meshy, OpenAI, SpaceXSI, and more," Epic Games said.

"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 competition features several tiers of funding for exceptional projects:

• Rs 7 lakh ($7,500) First-Place Prize: Awarded to the top overall Unreal Engine and UEFN games
• Rs 7 lakh ($7,500) Student Prize: Awarded to the top student-led submission
• Up to Rs 47 lakh ($50,000) Continuation Grants: Standout projects can secure major development grants to continue full-scale production after the event ends

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Epic Games' Pivot To AI

The event is part of the 'huge AI pivot' that Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has previously talked about. Earlier this month, Sweeney in a social media post, announced that developers were being moved to "retool maximum AI acceleration".

He said the purpose wasn't "to do the same stuff with fewer people" but to give developers the tools to build "more" and "better stuff", something he called "empowering" for creators.

Sweney highlighted that ramping up the use of AI was a "modest aim to survive the AI revolution" and end up "making better code and content faster".

"Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it's not. Our job, as the provider of tools and technology to much of the industry, is to design for the present that is and the future that will soon be. Personally, I'm optimistic about it and see it as empowering for creators," he added when accused of not reading the room.