$1.5M Meta Horizon Creator Competition: Mobile Innovation – Your Moment to Shine!

hi eshakm.2024​ 

I see that Taiwan is one of the regions eligible for the competition.

One of the items requires the use of Genai.

However, Genai isn't available in Taiwan. Is it possible for me to participate in this competition? Thank you.

Nice, this should result in some technically and graphically impressive worlds! 

Reminds me of old school tech demos, like the Dino on the PS1, showing of what the system can do.

Would be cool if an API becomes available to access a mobile phones motion sensors. Immediately adds unique gameplay possibilities to worlds.

I just wanted to highlight something important.

We often end up creating games, mini-games, or short-term experiences that serve as exhibitions or temporary fun — and then they’re quickly forgotten. Only a few ever become truly engaging, addictive, and replayable.

This time, I want to deliver a game that has a lasting impact for Horizon players — something that stays fun for more than just a few weeks. But with a 30-day deadline, that’s a serious challenge.

Here’s how the timeline realistically breaks down:

• 1 week to brainstorm, iterate, and refine the core idea (with help from AI and friends).
• 2 weeks to build the first or second iteration of the world and mechanics (using reusable assets, Gen AI, and purchased assets to speed things up).
• 1 week to test, polish, and fix bugs.

However, since we all have day jobs, this plan isn’t fully realistic. In practice, we probably have about 15 solid days to work on the game.

So the question is — what is Meta expecting for this competition?

Are they looking for an MVP, a short-looped experience, or a single-level game?

Think of Sausage Run — it was just a kitchen, a looping level, a few hazards, and it worked perfectly. Is that the kind of project Meta is looking for here?

We just want to make sure we don’t overcomplicate things or stress ourselves out building too many levels or expansions unnecessarily.

Thank you sammyosa​ , VRCG_Paul​  For your questions I will reach back out when I have answer for you. 

One of the award categories is "Best World that Leveraged Noesis", is it correct for me to assume you will need an (indie) License from NoesisGUI if you want to use Noesis in this competition?

I see a few licensing options on their website: https://www.noesisengine.com/licensing.php

Not sure if I will use it or build my own UI interface, but I checked a few of their tutorials on YouTube and it looks like a helpful and professional tool to build interfaces.

From SonOfCyrodiil​

Hello! Quick question: if our world ports to another world (e.g, "level 2"), will that still count as one submission per the rules of the Mobile Innovation Competition?

Update: Power Up with GenAI and More Updates from MHCP

Hey Creators! Keep your eye on the $1.5M prize pool! Review all the special awards and start building your world with our cutting-edge tools.

GenAI

• Generative tools can accelerate your world-building. Read the documentation on Generative AI Overview.
• Please note that GenAI usage is strongly encouraged but no longer required.

Special Awards (Each worth $37,500):

• NoesisUI: 3x Best World that Leveraged Noesis. Tutorial to get started.
• World Broadcast: 3x Best potential World Broadcast Implementation. Creators must provide their World ID in the submission form on or before Dec 1 at 10am PT to enable this feature. Learn more.
• Portrait Mode: 5x Best Portrait Mode Implementation. Learn about Portrait Camera API.
• One-touch movement: 5x Best use of tap-to-move. Learn more about Focused Interaction.
• NPC: 2x Best Memorable NPC (Embodied and Non-Embodied) Implementation. Learn more about NPCs.

Review the full prize pool of $1,500,000 here!

Looking for help? Join an Office Hour or Live educational session from the Creator Forum! 

Best of luck!

Start Building: Harness Mobile-First Innovation

Week 2 is all about getting your hands dirty with your build! Remember, this competition is focused on Mobile Innovation. Your world should be a seamless, intuitive, and groundbreaking experience for smartphone users.

Here's a reminder of the core creative mandate and technical requirements:

• What to Build: Your challenge is to build an innovative world, game, or interactive experience that fully harnesses the unique capabilities of Meta Horizon on mobile devices.
• Design Focus:
• Leverage Mobile-First Features: Think beyond the basics—use touch, haptics, orientation, and multi-touch controls.
• Invent New Interactions: Design experiences that are only possible or are best experienced on a smartphone.
• Technical Must-Haves:
• Your world must be built using the desktop editor tool.
• It must be newly published during the competition window.
• Worlds can be mobile-only or compatible with both mobile and VR, but VR-only worlds are not eligible.

How to Get Started

• Review the full What To Build and Technical Requirements sections in the Creator Guidelines.
• Start testing your privately published world on a mobile device early to ensure optimal performance and compatibility.

Hi Creators,
If you're creating a world for the **Meta Horizon Creator Competition: Mobile Innovation**, you can also submit that same world to the XR Creator Con (XRCC) hackathon !

How to participate in XRCC:
- Register at xrcc.events 
- When submitting your project, make sure to check "Horizon" as your track

The only requirement is that your world must be newly published during the competition period and not previously entered into any other Meta-led challenge, sweepstakes, promotion, or competition. This means you're eligible to participate in both events and maximize your chances to win!

Are we allowed to use animated meshes for this competition?