With two new initiatives, Global Game Jam (GGJ) and Games for Change (G4C) are intensifying their existing partnership to specifically support young talent in game development.
The collaboration between GGJ and G4C for 2025/2026 involves two competitions: GGJ Next 2026, which claims to be the largest game jam for students between the ages of 10 and 18, and G4C-GGJ Next Gen Expert Jam 2026, which is open to developers between the ages of 18 and 25. Both jams have a submission window until March 15, 2026.
The jams are thematically aligned with the G4C Student Challenge. Among other things, there is a scholarship worth $10,000 to be won. In addition, Global Game Jam is introducing new awards at the country level. This applies to competitions in both age groups. For 18- to 25-year-olds, however, in order to be eligible for a country-level award, they must participate in the Global Game Jam from January 26 to February 1 and choose one of the three G4C Diversifiers as the theme of their game. When uploading their project as part of the GGJ, they will receive instructions on how to submit the game to the G4C portal. There, they can continue working on the project until the submission deadline in mid-March.
“Collaboration is a core tenet of Global Game Jam,” GGJ executive director Maria Burns Ortiz said. “Partnering with Games for Change allows us both to bring our youth jams to a wider international audience in support of our shared mission to empower the next generation of game creators.”
