Deadline: October 21, 2025
The Saudi Game Champions Program 2nd Edition, launched by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in partnership with the National Technology Development Program with support from ITMAM, Game BCN, and Zigzag Ventures, invites gaming entrepreneurs over 18 who speak English fluently and own a laptop to participate in a Game Jam and six-month incubation program in Riyadh to develop their game ideas into market-ready MVPs with mentorship, training, and potential investment opportunities.
The program focuses on building playable game ideas into market-ready MVPs, participating in a Game Jam to showcase skills and collaborate, qualifying for the incubation program, accessing mentorship from 40 global game industry experts, receiving technical and business training, strategic coaching to operate as a studio, playtesting prototypes on real audiences, pitching to attract publishers and investors, grants of 200,000 SAR per startup, opportunity to participate in the Tokyo Game Show, and the possibility of an investment or publishing deal for top teams.
The Saudi Game Champions Program begins with a three-day Game Jam in Riyadh where participants can collaborate with other talented individuals, showcase their skills, and gain feedback on their game ideas. The event fosters a cooperative and competitive environment, challenging entrepreneurs to innovate and refine their concepts. Following the Game Jam, the top 20 teams qualify for the incubation program, which provides tailored support over six months at CODE HQ in Riyadh.
The incubation program is designed to guide participants through multiple stages, starting with a bootcamp where game ideas are pitched and teams are formed. Teams then progress through the Game Concept Stage, developing their ideas into final concepts with mentorship support, and the Game Design Stage, refining these concepts into full-fledged designs with advice from international game designers. The Prototype Stage focuses on building working prototypes with guidance from experienced developers, artists, and designers. In the Demo Stage, prototypes evolve into polished demos, and teams receive additional mentorship before showcasing their games during Demo Day to progress to acceleration opportunities.
Participants can assume roles including Game Programmer, responsible for coding and game functionality; Game Artist, creating the visual elements and ensuring alignment with the game design; Game Designer, bringing concepts to life and balancing mechanics; and Game Marketeer, focusing on reaching target audiences and planning marketing strategies throughout the game development lifecycle.
To be accepted into the program, participants must be over 18, speak English fluently, fully dedicate themselves to the program, own a laptop with required software, and attend all events physically. Benefits include extensive mentorship, access to technical and business training, strategic studio guidance, playtesting opportunities, pitching practice, startup grants, and chances to participate in the Tokyo Game Show or secure investment or publishing deals. The program totals 432 hours of mentoring and training with 40 experts and mentors guiding participants toward delivering 20 MVPs by the program’s end.
For more information, visit CODE.
