Fortnite creator Epic Games will offer $100 million to video game developers, students, teachers, and other creators who use Unreal Engine 4. This initiative expands on an already-established developer grant program from the company, which they launched back in 2015. Epic Games is calling it the MegaGrant program. Important to note is that Epic isn’t limiting the program to game development only. Those working in media or entertainment are eligible for the MegaGrant program, as well.
What’s the catch with MegaGrant?
There’s no catch whatsoever, according to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. “This is our way of sharing Fortnite’s unbelievable success,” Tim said to a packed house at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. “This is no-strings-attached grant funding. You don’t need to use our engine, [and] it doesn’t need to be in our store.” The individual grants available start at $5K and can go all the way up to $500K, ranging from a myriad of different categories, as well. Anyone to receive a grant from Epic Games will have full creative control as well. This means being able to own their intellectual property and publish it themselves. There are no deadlines, and the grants will be doled out continuously.
What are the categories?
The MegaGrant program is divided up into five different categories: Media & Entertainment, Enterprise, Education, Tools, and Game Developers. This entails game developers of any size, people in film/television, or other media. Companies or individuals using UE4 for non-gaming uses such as architecture are welcome to apply also. In addition, both teachers and students can use the grant to fund either studying or researching Unreal Engine, incorporating it into student projects or teaching university programs. Creators of tools for Unreal Engine can acquire funding for their various open-source avenues, too.
This is a pretty exciting program for those involved with Unreal Engine 4. Are you going to be applying for the MegaGrant program? Let us know!
