Epic MegaJam 2023: A Global Game Development Challenge
What is the Epic MegaJam?
The Epic MegaJam 2023 is an annual game development competition hosted by Unreal Engine, where participants have to create a game based on a given theme in a limited time. The event is open to anyone who wants to showcase their creativity and skills using Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite.
This year, the Epic MegaJam will kick off on Thursday, September 14, at 2 PM ET, during Inside Unreal on Twitch, YouTube and LinkedIn. The theme will be revealed at 3 PM ET, and participants will have until September 21, at 11:59 PM ET, to submit their games.
Participants can work alone or in teams of up to five members, and they can choose to use Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite to create their games. Unreal Engine is a powerful and versatile tool for creating games of any genre and platform, while Unreal Editor for Fortnite is a simplified version of the engine that allows users to create custom maps and modes for Fortnite.
What are the free resources and support for the Epic MegaJam?
To help participants get ready and inspired for the Epic MegaJam, Unreal Engine has provided several free resources and support options. These include:
- Free assets from the Unreal Engine Marketplace: Participants can use any assets that are available on the Unreal Engine Marketplace or the Fortnite Creative Hub, as well as any assets that they have created before or during the jam. However, they must list any content that was created before the jam in their submission form. Some of the free assets that are available on the Marketplace are:
- Animation Packs from RamsterZ: RamsterZ is a studio that specializes in creating high-quality animations for games. They have generously offered over 50 animation packs for free to all Epic MegaJam participants. These packs cover various genres and scenarios, such as combat, stealth, horror, comedy, romance, and more. You can download them from their website.
- Environment Packs from Quixel: Quixel is a company that creates photorealistic 3D assets and environments using real-world scans. They have provided several environment packs for free to all Epic MegaJam participants. These packs include landscapes, buildings, props, and vegetation from different regions and themes, such as medieval, sci-fi, desert, forest, urban, and more. You can access them with your Epic Games account.
- Sound Packs from Soundly: Soundly is a platform that offers thousands of sound effects and music tracks for games and media. They have given access to several sound packs for free to all Epic MegaJam participants. These packs include sounds for various genres and situations, such as action, adventure, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and more. You can download them from their website.
- Sound and Music from WeLoveIndies: WeLoveIndies is a platform that provides royalty-free sound and music for indie game developers. They have given free use of all sound and music from their catalogue for your Epic MegaJam project. You can create a free account and download their assets from their website.
- Free access to Assembla: Assembla is a platform that enables game development teams to collaborate and manage their projects using Perforce, SVN and/or Git repositories. Assembla will grant access to their platform to all Epic MegaJam development teams for free. Teams can also use Assembla’s built-in PM tools to coordinate their efforts during the jam. You can sign up for Assembla here. Note: Repositories will be deleted 28 days after the jam concludes. Save your files locally to ensure they won’t be lost!
- Free online courses from Udemy: Udemy is an online learning platform that offers courses on various topics and skills. Udemy has partnered with Unreal Engine to offer several courses on game development using Unreal Engine for free to all Epic MegaJam participants. These courses cover topics such as C++, Blueprints, VR, multiplayer, AI, animation, UI, and more. You can access them with your Epic Games account.
- Free motion capture tools from Rokoko: Rokoko is a company that provides motion capture solutions for game developers and animators. They have offered two free tools for all Epic MegaJam participants:
- Rokoko Video: Rokoko Video is an app that allows you to animate characters using your smartphone camera. You can record your own movements or use pre-made animations from Rokoko’s library. You can download the app for iOS or Android here.
- Rokoko Studio Live: Rokoko Studio Live is a plugin that allows you to stream motion capture data from Rokoko’s hardware devices or Rokoko Video app directly into Unreal Engine. You can download the plugin here.
- Free 3D scanning tools from Capturing Reality: Capturing Reality is a company that develops software for creating 3D models from photos or laser scans. They have offered two free tools for all Epic MegaJam participants who want to participate in the Edge of Reality modifier:
- RealityScan: RealityScan is an app that allows you to create 3D models from photos taken with your smartphone camera. You can download the app for iOS or Android here.
- RealityCapture: RealityCapture is a desktop software that allows you to create 3D models from photos or laser scans with high accuracy and detail. You can sign up for PPI credit redemption here. Once you have received your redemption code, you must log in with your Epic account and redeem it here.
- Free textures from GameTextures.com: GameTextures.com is a platform that provides high-quality textures for game developers. They have given free access to their samples library for all Epic MegaJam participants. You can sign up for a free account and download their textures from their website.
- Free 3D navigation devices from 3Dconnexion: 3Dconnexion is a company that produces devices that enable intuitive and immersive 3D navigation in Unreal Engine and other applications. They have offered a 20% discount on their products for all Epic MegaJam participants. You can learn more about their products and how to use them here.
- Free resources from The Unreal Directive: The Unreal Directive is a website that provides Unreal Engine resources that are well-researched, easy to understand, and adhere to best development practices. They have offered free access to their articles, tutorials, and templates for all Epic MegaJam participants. You can check out their resources here.
- Free support from Unreal Engine community: Unreal Engine has a vibrant and helpful community of developers and enthusiasts who are always ready to share their knowledge and experience.
What are the prizes and categories?
The Epic MegaJam 2023 will feature 1st place finalists for both Unreal Engine and Unreal Editor for Fortnite submissions as well as 1st place student finalists for both tools. Additionally there will be several modifier categories that will reward games that meet certain criteria, such as being funny, innovative, or accessible.
The prizes for the Epic MegaJam 2023 include cash awards, Unreal Engine swag, hardware devices, software licenses, online courses, and more. The total value of the prizes exceeds $100,000. Some of the prizes are:
- Cash awards: The 1st place Unreal Engine finalist will receive $5,000, the 2nd place Unreal Engine finalist will receive $2,500, and the 3rd place Unreal Engine finalist will receive $1,000. The 1st place Unreal Editor for Fortnite finalist will receive $2,500, the 2nd place Unreal Editor for Fortnite finalist will receive $1,250, and the 3rd place Unreal Editor for Fortnite finalist will receive $500. The 1st place student finalist (UE & UEFN) will receive $1,000, the 2nd place student finalist (UE & UEFN) will receive $500, and the 3rd place student finalist (UE & UEFN) will receive $250.
- Unreal Engine swag: All finalists and modifier category winners will receive a package of Unreal Engine swag, such as t-shirts, hoodies, hats, stickers, pins, mugs, and more.
- Hardware devices: All finalists and modifier category winners will receive a hardware device of their choice from a list of options provided by Unreal Engine. These options include laptops, tablets, smartphones, consoles, VR headsets, monitors, keyboards, mice, controllers, speakers, headphones, microphones, cameras, and more.
- Software licenses: All finalists and modifier category winners will receive a software license of their choice from a list of options provided by Unreal Engine. These options include game engines, game engines plugins, game development tools, game design tools, game art tools, game audio tools, game testing tools, game publishing tools, game marketing tools, and more.
- Online courses: All finalists and modifier category winners will receive an online course of their choice from a list of options provided by Unreal Engine. These options include courses on game development using Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite from Udemy or other platforms.
The winners will be announced on October 5th during a special livestream on Twitch, YouTube and LinkedIn.
How to join and submit?
To join the Epic MegaJam 2023 participants need to register on the official website and create an account on itch.io where they will upload their games. Submissions must be packaged for Windows MAC OS X Android or iOS (development build) and they must include custom gameplay that exceeds the gameplay found in Epic Games’ starter templates. Submissions must also include a link to gameplay footage (between 30-60 seconds) demonstrating recorded gameplay.
Participants can use any assets that are available on the Unreal Engine Marketplace or the Fortnite Creative Hub as well as any assets that they have created before or during the jam. However they must list any content that was created before the jam in their submission form.
Why join the Epic MegaJam?
The Epic MegaJam is a great opportunity for game developers of all levels and backgrounds to challenge themselves learn new skills network with other developers and have fun. The event also showcases the potential and diversity of Unreal Engine and Unreal Editor for Fortnite as game development tools.
By joining the Epic MegaJam participants can also get feedback from industry experts and judges as well as exposure to a global audience of gamers and enthusiasts. Moreover participants can win amazing prizes and recognition for their hard work and creativity.
So what are you waiting for? Join the Epic MegaJam today and unleash your imagination!
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