This weekend, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani will debut a youth video game design competition in the headquarter city of “Grand Theft Auto 6” developer Rockstar Games just ahead of the much-hyped game’s Nov. 19 release.
Launching Saturday, the NYC Game Jam is a two-day competition in which young New Yorkers design and build a video game around a set theme.
The inaugural inspiration for the competition is the theme “Get There Already,” a transit-based concept that is more family friendly than the M-rated “Grand Theft Auto” franchise. Per the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, “Participants will build a game about getting across the city. Every game must be about transit or the experience of getting around a city, suitable for all ages, and free of violence, weapons, and other illicit activity.”
Three finalists will be chosen by a judging panel made up of industry veterans. Mamdani will announce the winning team on social media in days after the competition with first place set to receive $3,000, second place a $1,500 prize, and third place with a $500 prize, all to be shared among team members.
The Office of the Mayor, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) are sponsoring the NYC Game Jam competition which will be accompanied by a career fair to allow participants to meet with gaming studios that are hiring. These studios will showcase their games and work, discuss open positions and offer mentorship.
According to MOME, New York City’s games sector supports about 7,900 jobs across approximately 380 firms and generates $2.6 billion in annual economic impact. About 65 percent of those firms are small or independent studios, though the most well-known NYC-based games employer is “GTA 6” maker Rockstar Games and its parent company Take-Two Interactive.
The Game Jam is the latest program that the city has launched in support of the gaming industry with MOME previously investing a bachelor’s degree program in digital game design at CCNY, launching the Gaming Pathways Program to introduce high school students to game design careers, and establishing the Digital Games Industry Council to advise the City on policy.
Additionally, NYCEDC runs the Game Design Future Lab with NYU Tandon.
“Whether you’re exploring the forests of Hyrule or riding across the frontier at Nuevo Paraíso, video games invite us into worlds born from the imagination of their designers. And that creativity represents an enormous opportunity here in New York City,” Mamdani said. “As the industry grows, we want to make sure the next generation of game developers and designers can build their futures right here at home. This Game Jam is a chance to open the door to that industry for young New Yorkers, connect them with the people shaping it and give them the tools and support to turn their biggest ideas into careers.”
“Right now, New York City is having an undeniable moment as a global hub for digital games, with hundreds of independent studios and major industry leaders calling the five boroughs home,” NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment commissioner Rafael Espinal. “Under Mayor Mamdani’s leadership we are seizing this momentum to open doors for our city’s youth. Events like the ‘Get There Already’ Game Jam bridge the gap between passion and profession, giving young New Yorkers hands-on experience and direct access to the studios shaping our $2.6 billion gaming industry.”
