In response to Shueisha Games’ latest initiative to gather game proposals from creators, Square Enix has revealed its own competition for game developers. Titled the Square Enix Game Contest 2026, its mission is to “forge a new era in gaming with concepts that push the boundaries of creativity.” To achieve this, the company plans to fund and fully support promising game ideas, turning them into reality.
Diverging from Shueisha Games’ approach, which welcomed submissions from individuals without prior game development experience, the Square Enix Game Contest requires applicants to submit a gameplay video of their project. This video, paired with a project proposal, will be evaluated in the first judging phase. The second phase involves testing a playable build via an executable file, while the third and final phase consists of an interview.
Evaluations will be based on four key areas: innovation, originality, entertainment value, and overall polish.
Notably, any game that hasn’t won awards elsewhere or been commercially released is eligible. Proposals incorporating AI-generated content will also be considered, though Square Enix is developing guidelines to ensure transparency and avoid copyright issues. Entries must be playable on PC or mobile; VR games are excluded.
The registration window opens on December 15, 2026, and closes on March 15, 2027. Winners will be announced on June 30, 2027. Only individuals, teams, and companies based in Japan can participate.
Winners will be awarded in three tiers, all receiving prize money and publishing assistance from Square Enix, with varying cash amounts. The Excellence Award will honor 10 entrants with 30 million JPY (approximately $189K USD) each. The Masterpiece Award will grant four winners 100 million JPY ($629K USD) each, and the sole Grand Prize winner will receive 300 million JPY ($1.89 million USD). The contest’s total prize fund stands at 1 billion JPY ($6.3 million USD).
Even before its launch, the contest has garnered enthusiasm on social media, with some comparing it to Enix’s historic national programming contest, which gave rise to titles like Koichi Nakamura’s Door Door and Yuji Horii’s Love Match Tennis. NieR creator Yoko Taro expressed admiration for the upcoming event, calling it one of the most intriguing Square Enix announcements he’d heard in a while.
For comprehensive details on the Square Enix Game Contest 2026, visit the official website.
Mido