Epic Games announced an AI game jam, faced criticism, and changed the rules
On October 22nd, Epic Games announced the AI MegaJam, a competition focused on game creation using neural networks. However, the announcement stirred some discontent among developers. The same day, the company altered the participation rules.
Initially, the event's FAQ stated that the use of AI was mandatory. Following discussions on social media, Epic Games admitted this was a mistake and allowed participants to use neural networks to any extent or not at all.
The criticism unfolded on Platform X and other social networks. Users accused Epic Games of attempting to present generative AI as a necessary condition for quick game development. Additional attention was drawn to a promotional poster with a reference to "The Matrix": the hand offering AI had six fingers.
The situation is notable against the backdrop of the active promotion of AI by Epic Games' CEO Tim Sweeney. Earlier in October, he stated that the company is reallocating developers to accelerate the integration of neural networks into production processes.
The AI MegaJam will take place from November 12th to 15th on the itch.io platform. Participants will be challenged to create a game using Unreal Engine or UEFN in four days. The contest theme will be revealed on November 11th. In addition to the online format, an in-person event will be held in San Francisco from November 14th to 15th, featuring representatives from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI.
The prize pool is $65,000. Grants for further game development are also available — up to $50,000 per team.