Hey MHCP Creators, Massive news! Get ready for our biggest competition yet! We're thrilled to announce the Meta Horizon Creator Competition - Mobile Genre Showdown: Reloaded, with a prize pool of $2.5 million! This is your chance to showcase your creativity and win big by building the best genre focused mobile experience in Meta Horizon. What's at Stake? Top 4 Genre Winners: Each will take home $200,000! Plus: 31 more talented creators will share $1,700,000 across multiple exciting categories. Key Dates to Remember Competition Submission Period: September 18, 2025 – October 30, 2025 Winners Announced: On or before November 13, 2025 Why Participate? Compete for your share of $2.5 million in prizes Level up with generative AI and more tools Build for a Growing Audience Join a thriving creator community How to Enter Publish your genre-focused world in Meta Horizon. Register on Devpost: Visit the Devpost competition page from September 18, 2025, and click "Join hackathon." Submit Your Entry on Devpost: Complete all required fields on the "Start project" page during the submission window. What to Build Design and build a new, innovative world for Meta Horizon that works seamlessly on mobile, centered on a specific genre: Simulation (Tycoon, Incremental) Roleplay & Avatar Sim (Dress Up / Life, Pet Care / Animal) Open Genre (your choice!) Judging Criteria All submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria below in order to achieve a high score: Technical: Overall level of technical expertise that can be seen in the world. Visuals and Sound: The art of the world or game should be visually appealing and enhance the overall experience. Experience Design: The world should consider the essence of the player’s experience from the moment they arrive in the world. Social: The world should offer ways for people to connect and find shared moments together. GenAI Usage: Use at least one GenAI feature in building your world. Learn more in the rules section of the competition page. We can't wait to see the incredible worlds you'll bring to life. Let the showdown begin! Sincerely, The Meta Horizon Creator Competition Team

Thank you all, sammyosa , Drewls , VRCG_Paul , kunofellasleep for your questions above! I'm working on getting answers for you!

Hi Ben.SH 👋I noticed that on the Devpost competition rules page, Japan is listed as an eligible country for the Mobile Genre Showdown. However, according to the Meta Horizon Creator Program (MHCP) eligibility criteria, Japan is still excluded.Could you clarify if there are any plans to update the MHCP country list so that creators in Japan can officially join? Also, is there any way for Japan-based creators to participate in this competition, for example as team members under an eligible representative?I am a Unity engineer based in Japan, and this competition is the first time I’ve become strongly interested in developing for Meta Quest through Horizon Worlds. I would love to take part if possible.Thank you very much for your guidance!

Hi Ben.SH 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.

Hi Creators! We want to highlight some key feedback from our Subject Matter Experts during the just concluded Feedback Festival. Top 5 Good Points: 1. Clear Plans and Instructions: Experts really liked worlds with clear plans and instructions, especially when they showed what's next and what challenges to expect. 2. Works Well, No Bugs: A big plus was worlds where everything worked smoothly without technical problems, which is key for happy users. 3. Great Look and Feel: People loved worlds with strong visuals, with how environments and characters looked, and how the overall atmosphere made them feel like they were really in the game. 4. Fresh Ideas and Moving Characters: Experts found games with new ideas and characters that move and dance to be very exciting and different from other games. 5. Easy to Use and Responds Well: It was a good sign that games were easy to interact with and that things responded quickly and naturally. Top 5 Areas to Improve: 1. Better Look and Theme Matching: The main advice was to make the visuals look better and ensure everything fits the game's theme. For example, some felt areas were mismatched, or backgrounds weren't imaginative enough. 2. More Ways to Play with Others: Experts strongly suggested adding more options for playing with friends, like real-time battles, leaderboards, team-ups, or competition rounds. 3. Clear Goals and Reasons to Keep Playing: It's important to show users why they should keep coming back. This means having clear ways to get better, earn rewards, and stay interested. 4. Easier to Start and Understand: Many felt that games needed clearer instructions and an easier way for new players to learn how to play, to avoid confusion at the beginning. 5. Smoother Movement and Game Physics: There were comments about game movements and physics needing work, such as characters getting stuck or camera controls being tricky. Making these smoother would improve the experience. Let us know if you have any questions on your World and make sure to join our next upcoming events to learn more. Upcoming Events: IWP Setup Best Practices (Today) Create IWP Items your Players Want (Oct 23rd) How to Build Buzz: Nail Your PR Story & Strategy (Oct 27th) Catch up on past events and tutorials: Meta Horizon Creator Program YouTube channel

Hey Ben.SH I have a couple questions about the rules. First Question: In section 4 Entry Requirements one bullet point is this. The world must be newly published by the Entrant during the duration of the competition and not have been previously entered into any other challenge, sweepstakes, promotion, or competition.If I have a game I entered in another hackathon or game jam on a completely different platform and I wanted to port this over to a Horizon World would that meet the requirements? The language seems very world specific but I would like some clarity. Second Question: Does entering an 18+ world okay for this competition, if so are there any issues with entering an 18+ world ?

Ben.SH

Community Manager

4 months ago

Join the $2.5M Horizon Creator Competition. Mobile Genre Showdown is Back!

Hey MHCP Creators,

Massive news! Get ready for our biggest competition yet! We're thrilled to announce the Meta Horizon Creator Competition - Mobile Genre Showdown: Reloaded, with a prize pool of $2.5 million! This is your chance to showcase your creativity and win big by building the best genre focused mobile experience in Meta Horizon.

What's at Stake?

Top 4 Genre Winners: Each will take home $200,000!
Plus: 31 more talented creators will share $1,700,000 across multiple exciting categories.

Key Dates to Remember

Competition Submission Period: September 18, 2025 – October 30, 2025
Winners Announced: On or before November 13, 2025

Why Participate?

Compete for your share of $2.5 million in prizes
Level up with generative AI and more tools
Build for a Growing Audience
Join a thriving creator community

How to Enter

Publish your genre-focused world in Meta Horizon.
Register on Devpost: Visit the Devpost competition page from September 18, 2025, and click "Join hackathon."
Submit Your Entry on Devpost: Complete all required fields on the "Start project" page during the submission window.

What to Build

Design and build a new, innovative world for Meta Horizon that works seamlessly on mobile, centered on a specific genre:

Simulation (Tycoon, Incremental)
Roleplay & Avatar Sim (Dress Up / Life, Pet Care / Animal)
Open Genre (your choice!)

Judging Criteria

All submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria below in order to achieve a high score:

Technical: Overall level of technical expertise that can be seen in the world.
Visuals and Sound: The art of the world or game should be visually appealing and enhance the overall experience.
Experience Design: The world should consider the essence of the player’s experience from the moment they arrive in the world.
Social: The world should offer ways for people to connect and find shared moments together.
GenAI Usage: Use at least one GenAI feature in building your world.

Learn more in the rules section of the competition page.

We can't wait to see the incredible worlds you'll bring to life. Let the showdown begin!

Sincerely,

The Meta Horizon Creator Competition Team

Competition

34 Replies

kunofellasleep
Honored Guest
4 months ago
Hi Ben.SH 👋
I noticed that on the Devpost competition rules page, Japan is listed as an eligible country for the Mobile Genre Showdown. However, according to the Meta Horizon Creator Program (MHCP) eligibility criteria, Japan is still excluded.
Could you clarify if there are any plans to update the MHCP country list so that creators in Japan can officially join? Also, is there any way for Japan-based creators to participate in this competition, for example as team members under an eligible representative?
I am a Unity engineer based in Japan, and this competition is the first time I’ve become strongly interested in developing for Meta Quest through Horizon Worlds. I would love to take part if possible.
Thank you very much for your guidance!
VRCG_Paul
Start Member
4 months ago
Hi Ben.SH
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.
Drewls
Start Partner
4 months ago
Hey Ben.SH
I have a couple questions about the rules.
First Question: In section 4 Entry Requirements one bullet point is this.
The world must be newly published by the Entrant during the duration of the competition and not have been previously entered into any other challenge, sweepstakes, promotion, or competition.
If I have a game I entered in another hackathon or game jam on a completely different platform and I wanted to port this over to a Horizon World would that meet the requirements? The language seems very world specific but I would like some clarity.

Second Question: Does entering an 18+ world okay for this competition, if so are there any issues with entering an 18+ world ?
- eshakm.2024
  Community Manager
  4 months ago
  Hi Drewls ,
  
  1) It is acceptable to port a game or experience that you previously built on other platforms. However, if you are submitting a game or world similar to one from a previous competition, your entry must be significantly different.
  
  2) You can publish an 18+ world as far as it follows Meta Horizon Content Guidelines for 10+, 13+, and 18+ to help keep Meta Horizon Worlds a fun and welcoming place for everyone. Ref: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/help/quest/articles/horizon/create-in-horizon-worlds/content-guidelines-worlds/
  
  Hope this helps!
sammyosa
MHCP Partner
4 months ago
I always wanted to build "WAR OF THE WORLDS 2005" SIMULATION
would that be possible or its rights violation ? Ben.SH
- eshakm.2024
  Community Manager
  4 months ago
  Hi sammyosa ,
  
  Our ask of creators is to ensure that what they buid is ORIGINAL to each Entrant (or include content that is in the public domain). If a project uses any third party tools, code or assets, the participant must be authorized to use them in accordance with any terms and conditions or licensing requirements of the tools, code or assets.
  
  Hope this helps!
eshakm.2024
Community Manager
4 months ago
Thank you all, sammyosa , Drewls , VRCG_Paul , kunofellasleep for your questions above! I'm working on getting answers for you!
- kunofellasleep
  Honored Guest
  3 months ago
  eshakm.2024
  I saw the DevPost rule change stating that Japanese residents can participate if the leader is an MHCP participant. Are there any other updates?
  Such as VRCG_Paul questions regarding GENAI access.
KevinJardine
Start Partner
4 months ago
I notice that it says "world or game". In that case, if I enter in the Open Genre category, can it be an immersive experience (with some goals) rather than a game?
- KevinJardine
  Start Partner
  4 months ago
  I have been working on a big galactic astronomy experience with a lot of things to see and do but would prefer not to have to shoehorn it into a "game" if possible. (Although I do have a leaderboard that rewards people for visiting different spots.)
- eshakm.2024
  Community Manager
  4 months ago
  Hi KevinJardine Yes, your entry must not be a game
  - KevinJardine
    Start Partner
    4 months ago
    Sorry, did you mean "must be a game" or "does not have to be a game"?
exoqqen
MHCP Member
4 months ago
Hey Ben.SH, eshakm.2024,
My team and i want to participate, though we have some questions regarding the rules for eligibility:

"An association of between two (2) and ten (10) individuals that does not constitute a legally recognized entity, provided that each natural person comprising such association and meets the eligibility criteria listed above, can submit Entries and are referred to herein as a “Team”."
Does "legally recognized entity" extend to a company, as in VR Studio? Relevant due to tax reasons, if potential prizes end up on our company account or private accounts.
Aka can we signup as company or only as private individuals?

I reached out on the Meta Discord & the Devpost discord and was redirected here, there was also the mention of an organizer email address i could contact for this.
Would be very thankful for some pointers, thanks!
- eshakm.2024
  Community Manager
  4 months ago
  Hi exoqqen ,
  
  Great question, only individuals and Teams of individuals are eligible and the quote you shared is mostly stating that organizations/companies or multiple individuals who constitute as legally recognized entity are not an eligible participant type.
eshakm.2024
Community Manager
4 months ago
Hi exoqqen , KevinJardine , Thanks for your questions! I have reached out and will get back to you with an answer!
- KevinJardine
  Start Partner
  4 months ago
  Thanks! I hope that you get a response soon.
Omega.C
Honored Guest
4 months ago
Hi Ben.SH eshakm.2024
Really looking forward to participating in this competition.
Unfortunately I live in Japan, which is not part of the MHCP nor allows GenAI.
Both are crucial to be able to participate. Would it be possible to have both not publicly available, but for participants for the time of the competition? Like a beta program?
I know others have asked about this before, but it would be great if you could clarify on this, as we're already one week into the competition.
Thank you!
Flirtacia
MHCP Member
4 months ago
Hi,

For the New to Horizon Mobile Award, the description states: Most enjoyable experience created by an entrant who joined MHCP in 2025.
Regarding these prizes, I would appreciate it if someone could answer the following two questions:
1- Is the eligibility based on prior participation in the competitions or on the registration date? For example, if someone registered after 2025 but has already participated in previous competitions, would they still qualify for this award?
2- If I, as the main participant, have a teammate who has previously participated in MHCP competitions, would our team still be eligible for this award?
- eshakm.2024
  Community Manager
  3 months ago
  Hi Flirtacia ,
  
  1. No not based on prior competition, just soley based on the time of the participant joining MCHP and it must be within the past year.
  2. The team submitter / publisher will be the qualifer. The team will not be penalized for having team members that are past participants or MCHP members who been apart for mor than a year.