Square Enix launches ¥1 billion game contest

Square Enix said on May 20 that it is launching SQUARE ENIX GAME CONTEST 2026, a game development competition with a total prize pool of ¥1 billion. The company said the contest is open to individuals, groups and companies based in Japan, and that submissions must be completely original, unreleased works for mobile or PC. The top prize is ¥300 million. Square Enix said it will also provide publishing support covering distribution, marketing and other release work for winning projects, and pay royalties on sales. The company framed the contest as a search for new creators and new ideas beyond fixed genre or franchise boundaries. In its press release, Square Enix said the project is aimed at creators trying to turn their own ideas into “new fun,” and said it wants to deliver selected works to players worldwide through its publishing network. (jp.square-enix.com) ### How is the ¥1 billion prize pool divided? Square Enix said the awards are split across 15 projects. The company listed one grand prize of ¥300 million, four “masterpiece” prizes of ¥100 million each, and 10 excellence prizes of ¥30 million each. The contest site says those awards come with support for publishing, distribution and marketing, while the official rules say the number of winners is set in advance and, in principle, the contest will not end with no awardees. (jp.square-enix.com) The official rules also say that commercialization is not automatically guaranteed by winning. Square Enix said any decision on productization or release will depend on the nature of the work and market conditions. ### Who can enter, and what kind of game qualifies? The contest site says applicants must be individuals or teams living in Japan, or companies registered in Japan. (jp.square-enix.com) Eligible projects must be fully original, must not have won other contests, and must not have been commercially sold or distributed before submission, according to the rules. (gc2026.jp.square-enix.com) The rules make one exception for non-commercial disclosure. Square Enix said works posted on personal websites, social media or free game-sharing sites can still count as unreleased, so long as they have not been sold or commercially distributed. The target platforms are mobile and PC. ### What do entrants have to submit? Square Enix said applicants will need to submit three materials: a project proposal in PDF form, a gameplay video uploaded to YouTube as an unlisted link with a maximum length of 20 minutes, and a ZIP file containing an executable build. (gc2026.jp.square-enix.com) The company said first-round judging will be based on the proposal and gameplay video, second-round judging will involve playing the build, and final judging will include interviews. The contest site says judging criteria include novelty, originality, entertainment value and completeness. The rules add commercial potential to that list. ### What did Square Enix say about AI use and rights? Square Enix said an AI-use guideline is being prepared and will be published later. The contest site says entrants will be required to disclose the tools they used and guarantee that their work does not infringe rights. (gc2026.jp.square-enix.com) It also says that if a project is commercialized, AI-generated portions may need to be manually rewritten or reworked. The provisional rules published on May 20 say copyright belongs to the entrant at the time of submission. If a work wins, the rules say the project becomes a joint work of the entrant and Square Enix after prize payment is completed, subject to a separate contract. ### When does the process start? May 20 is the announcement date, but entries do not open immediately. (gc2026.jp.square-enix.com) Square Enix said submissions will open on December 15, 2026, close on March 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m., and winners will be announced on June 30, 2027. The company said the detailed entry process will run through the contest’s official site and entry form. (jp.square-enix.com) (gc2026.jp.square-enix.com)