We’re officially in the final stretch of the Forge the Future Game Jam, and if you’re building a browser-based game with Niantic Studio, now’s the time to power up your skills. To help developers of all levels make the most of this opportunity, we hosted a series of expert-led webinars throughout May—and the full lineup is now available to stream on-demand.

Whether you’re refining your project or just getting started, these sessions are packed with practical insights and strategic tips to help you build your best game.

🎮 Info Session: Forge the Future Kickoff
Our kickoff event covered everything you need to know about the challenge, from the $32,000 prize pool to submission criteria and judging breakdowns. We also heard directly from the VIVERSE team, who shared their vision for the Creator Program and what makes a game stand out on their global distribution platform.

🛠️ Niantic Studio Workshop: Building Your First 3D Web Game

Led by George Butler from the 8th Wall Developer Support team, this hands-on session walked through the full process of building a cross-platform 3D web game. From project setup to component-driven mechanics, this is a great starting point for any dev building in Studio for the first time—or looking to level up their skills.

🌐 Using 8th Wall Studio for the VIVERSE Creator Program

In this in-depth session, the VIVERSE team showcased real examples of high-quality games and broke down the core mechanics that make them shine: scoped execution, clear onboarding, satisfying pacing, cross-platform UX, and polished audio/visuals. We also showed how those features can be implemented in Niantic Studio—giving devs a framework to build games ready for publishing.

Why It Matters

With $32,000 in prizes and the chance to be featured by VIVERSE, this game jam is more than just a competition—it’s an on-ramp to getting discovered. Top teams will earn cash awards, exclusive access to the VIVERSE Creator Program, and the opportunity to distribute their games to a global audience.

Prizes: 

• 1st Place: $10,000 + Creator Program access
• 2nd Place: $6,000
• 3rd Place: $4,000
• Most Polished (x2 each): $2,000
• Most Addictive (x2 each): $2,000
• Best Student Games (x3): $1,000
• Honorable Mentions (x4): $250
  

What’s Next

Submissions are due June 30, so there’s still time to polish your gameplay, improve your UI, or get that one final mechanic just right. And if you’re looking for personalized feedback, 1:1 sessions with our support team are available—check the event page to book a slot.

This is your chance to showcase your creativity, build a playable prototype, and potentially launch your next big idea.

Start building now at 8th.io/gamejam. Let’s forge the future—together.