UCLA Esports & Gaming is thrilled to announce Fiat Ludum 2026, presented by ASUS Republic of Gamers! This annual game jam, hosted by UCLA Recreation in partnership with ACM: Studio, challenges participants to design and develop a game from scratch in just 72 hours—all based on a surprise theme revealed at the Opening Ceremony.
Only current UCLA students are eligible for Fiat Ludum.
Whether you're a seasoned developer or brand new to game creation, Fiat Ludum is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate, learn, and create. Throughout the event, we'll be hosting introductory game development workshops, guiding beginners through the fundamentals of game design, coding, and asset creation. Absolutely zero experience necessary!
🔗 Fiat Ludum 2026 Registration Form - MUST BE LOGGED INTO YOUR UCLA GOOGLE EMAIL TO ACCESS.
Why Join Fiat Ludum?
- Team-Based Challenge: Work in teams of 2-5 to bring your game idea to life. Don't have a team? You can find others looking for teammates in our Discord server!
- Workshops & Mentorship: Learn from fellow UCLA developers through interactive workshops and teamwork.
- Showcase Your Work: Finalists will be recognized at GEEX (Gaming & Esports Expo) the weekend after and games will be hosted on our itch.io for future Fiat Ludum jammers to enjoy!
- Exciting Prizes: Compete for top-tier rewards from our sponsor, ASUS Republic of Gamers!
📌 Event Details
🔹 Key Dates & Deadlines
- Registration Deadline: Thursday, April 9th, 11:59 PM PST
- Info session (Intro to Game Jams, Q&A w/ Past Participants): Monday, April 6, 6-7 PM PST, (Zoom (link available in Discord Server)
- Free Game Jam Dev Workshops, Hosted by ACM Studio: Monday - Thursday, April 6-9. Scroll down for full schedule and content!
- Networking Event w/ Industry Professionals: Friday, April 10th, 6:00 PM PST (Straus Clubhouse, Los Angeles Tennis Center, pizza provided).
- Opening Kickoff & Theme Reveal: Friday, April 10th, 7:00 PM PST (Straus Clubhouse, Los Angeles Tennis Center).
- Game Jam Start: Friday, April 10th, 7:30 PM PST
- Game Jam End: Monday, April 13th, 8:30 PM PST
- Closing Ceremony & Winner Announcements: Sunday, April 19th 11:00 AM PST (Bradley Hall 300, GEEX). Register your free ticket to GEEX here!
🏆 Prizes
🎭 Judges Spotlight
Our panel of industry professionals will evaluate submissions based on creativity, execution, and overall design.
🌟 Scott Rudi – Design Director @ Respawn Entertainment
🔹 A veteran game designer, Scott has led development on major projects at Respawn Entertainment, home of Apex Legends and Titanfall, with deep expertise in gameplay mechanics and innovation.
🌟 Emily Pitcher – Content Creator, Game Developer @ lily's world XD
🔹 Emily (aka SonderingEmily) is a game development content creator making videos that document her journey of making a horror game. She's been featured in Forbes, NPR, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and The Game Awards.
🌟 Parsa Spandar – Senior Systems Designer, @ Epic Games
🔹 Previously working with VALORANT and now Fortnite, Parsa focuses on matchmaking and competitive design, creating the most complete and player-first systems as possible!
🌟 Joshua Glazer – Senior Principal Software Engineer @ Riot Games
🔹 After running an indie studio for 14 years, coding early foundations of League of Legends, and shipping Legends of Runeterra, Josh is now a Product Tech Lead in Riot Games' R&D department, where he does his best to help teams build exciting, resonant experiences worthy of players' time.
🌟 Corey Staier – Narrative Designer @ Infinity Ward
🔹 As a narrative designer and creative consultant, Corey focuses on where story meets gameplay in both AAA games and experimental projects.
🌟 Brenden Alvarez – Playtest Operations Producer @ Riot Games
🔹 A veteran of the collegiate esports space, Brendan started his gaming career as a scholarship athlete on the UCI Esports Overwatch team before making the transition to UC Irvine Arena Coordinator. Now at Riot Games, Brenden works with various groups to coordinate playtesting for Riot Games' latest R&D projects.
🌟 Brandon Suyemoto – Senior Digital Marketing Specialist @ ASUS
🔹A veteran of the digital marketing space, Brandon leverages his experience to craft meaningful narratives around the story of ASUS that resonate with consumers
🎮 ACM Workshop Series
- Lead by ACM Studio, UCLA's eminent game development club. Come and learn about game jam tips and technical tricks to help with your jam!
- Workshop #0: Brainstorming: Where to start?: Monday, April 6, 7-8 PM PST, (Esports Training Center, John Wooden Center, no Zoom stream)
- Workshop #1: Introduction to Game Development in Unity Pt. 1: Tuesday, April 7, 6-8 PM PST, (Esports Training Center, John Wooden Center, streamed on Zoom)
- Workshop #2: Introduction to Game Development in Unity Pt. 2: Wednesday, April 8, 6-8 PM PST, (Esports Training Center, John Wooden Center, streamed on Zoom)
- Workshop #3: Making a Game Feel Good in 72 Hours: Thursday, April 9, 6-8 PM PST, (Esports Training Center, John Wooden Center, streamed on Zoom)
✅ Ready to Join? Sign Up Now!
🔗 Fiat Ludum 2026 Registration Form
🔗 Rules
🔗 Judging Rubric
Spots are limited, so secure your place before the April 9th deadline.
Stay tuned for more updates in the Fiat Ludum Discord Server! Register to get an invite link!
