Epic Games 宣布举办 AI 游戏创作活动，遭到批评后修改规则

On October 22, Epic Games announced the AI MegaJam, a competition focused on game creation using AI. However, the announcement stirred some discontent among developers. The same day, the company altered the 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 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 AI tools into production processes.

The AI MegaJam will take place from November 12 to 15 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.