Global Game Jam aims to surpass 500,000 lifetime participants ahead of 2026 event 

• Global Game Jam will return from January 26th to February 1st, 2026.
• The 2026 theme will be revealed during a livestream on January 24–25, following a dedicated prep week.
• Around 40,000 participants join the jam each year across 800 sites in more than 100 countries.

Non-profit organisation Global Game Jam has revealed that its annual worldwide game development event will return from January 26th to February 1st 2026.

Global Game Jam 2026 will bring together developers, students, educators, and creatives to form small teams and build games over a short, intensive period based around a shared global theme. 

The theme for 2026 will be revealed during a livestreamed event on January 24th to 25th, following a preparatory week running from January 19th to 23rd. In 2025, the event crossed 100,000 games created since its inception. 

This year's edition is expected to surpass 500,000 lifetime participants worldwide. Annually, Global Game Jam attracts around 40,000 participants across roughly 800 local sites in more than 100 countries.

“A celebration of creativity" 

Organisers described the jam as a platform focused on creativity, experimentation, and learning by doing, welcoming participants of all skill levels, including first-time developers. 

Beyond game creation, the event emphasises collaboration, rapid prototyping, and community building, while also serving as a pathway into the games industry for many attendees.

“The Global Game Jam is a celebration of creativity, innovation and community," said GGJ executive director Maria Burns Ortiz. 

"As we head into 2026 and the 17th edition of the Global Game Jam, amid ongoing uncertainty not only in our industry but around the world, seeing tens of thousands of creators from over 100 countries come together to make games around a shared theme speaks to the power of games to connect us."

More information on how to participate can be found here.