Verizon has partnered with the NFL to re-think mobile gaming in a 5G world. That’s why we’ve been searching for the next big idea for a football-themed mobile game that leverages the power of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband. We’ve announced the winning studios and they’ll be building games that debut during Super Bowl week.
The Winning teams will be awarded $400,000 to develop a game that will debut at Super Bowl LIV events. For details, check out the Official Rules here.
Here’s what you need to know. Once you’ve entered, we’ll send more information your way.
For more information on the Challenge, take a look at the contest rules and guidelines. Have a question that’s not answered here? Get in touch.
While the judging and criteria will vary slightly from round to round, a cohort of judges will generally assess each submission in the areas of:
We will interview potential finalists (as selected by our Judges based on the above assessment criteria) and invite the top five teams to participate in a Game Jam. Each team will receive access to Verizon’s 5G resources in order to prototype their concept-level submission. At the conclusion of the Game Jam, Verizon and the NFL will jointly select up to two teams to advance to the game development phase.
Each Winner will be provided an opportunity to work with Verizon and NFL as a third-party developer, receive $400,000 to develop commercial versions of their prototypes, have the game featured at one or more Superbowl LIV events in 2020, and be published by Verizon (with in-game acknowledgement). For full details, check out the Official Rules here.
Working with Verizon and NFL, development of the commercial version of the game will begin in September 2019 and continue through January 2020, and there will be opportunities to work with Verizon 5G specialists to develop, test and refine the game in a 5G environment. Teams will have access to Verizon’s 5G resources and a repository of NFL assets to craft the ultimate football-themed game on 5G.
Subject to verification and compliance with the Official Rules, and contingent upon the execution of a Game Developer Agreement, each of the Winners will be given the opportunity to develop commercial versions of their prototypes developed during the Game Jam event. As a third-party developer for Verizon, Winners will receive $400,000 to develop commercial versions of the prototypes, and an opportunity to be featured at one or more Superbowl LIV events in 2020, and have their game be published by Verizon and NFL (with in-game acknowledgement).
For all of the details, please read the Official Rules here.
Yes, your company will have the option to design an opening credit screen for the game (subject to Verizon and NFL joint approval). Your team may also be invited to join Verizon and/or the NFL during Super Bowl LIV Week and other promotional demo opportunities to follow.
The final game may be made available to the general public through the Google Play store for select 5G-enabled devices, as well as through other official Verizon channels. Your team will continue to receive credit for the game’s development through the opening credit screen (see above).
Yes. Teams may submit more than one application to the Challenge. Each application should highlight the key elements of the evaluation criteria.
We expect game developers to leverage the high bandwidth and low-latency that Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband offers. We also expect the game to be ready to showcase during Super Bowl LIV Week in Miami (February 2020). Ultimately we want submissions that push the limits of what’s possible with 5G Ultra Wideband and demonstrate how 5G will disrupt mobile gaming.
The Official Rules, and other information about the Challenge can be found by clicking here.
Submissions Open – June 11, 2019
Submissions Close – August 11, 2019
Winners Announced – September 2019
Showcase – Super Bowl LIV Week (February 2020)
The Verizon 5G NFL Gaming Challenge is only open to U.S. companies.
5G infrastructure will take gaming to a whole new level. The high bandwidth and low latency of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband will enable technologies like cloud gaming, massive multiplayer experiences with near-zero lag and more.
The Built on 5G program is designed to inspire and support breakthrough innovations in every industry using Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband. Along with partners and collaborators, the Built on 5G program has the power to change everything.
