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CGDealers, educational platform for CG artists and enthusiasts, announces the launch of its inaugural design challenge, "Grand Discovery." This competition, focused on game environments, offers participants of all skill levels the opportunity to showcase their talent using Unreal Engine.
The Grand Discovery challenge is ideal for both beginners and experienced users, with no prior experience required in working with Unreal Engine. Participants will have access to a pre-designed scene where they can scatter objects and bring their unique environment to life. With a simple click of the Render button, the final render of the scene will be ready for submission.
Key Rules for the Challenge
- Utilize Unreal Engine 5.2 or a newer version.
- Ensure the camera animation remains unaltered, as the sequencer animation has intentionally been locked.
- A mandatory requirement is the inclusion of an Arch within the scene. This can take the form of a metal Arch, a cave, or any architectural design of the participant's choice.
- Participants must create a captivating point of interest within their scene, such as a castle, a statue, or a magnificent tree.
- Artistic style limitations have been lifted, allowing participants to create in a realistic, cartoony, or any other style they can imagine.
- While main characters should be avoided, participants are encouraged to add side non-player characters (NPCs) or other elements that enhance the environment and the focal point of interest, known as the "Great Discovery."
- Creative freedom is emphasized, allowing for the inclusion of environment animations, visual effects (VFX), particles, clouds, fog, and other effects that bring the scene to life.
"We wanted to create a challenge that would inspire creativity, regardless of skill level," says the CGDealers team. "The 'Grand Discovery' challenge provides participants with a pre-designed scene as a starting point, allowing them to explore their imagination and showcase their talent in environment design."
Participants are encouraged to submit their final rendered videos, adhering to the recommended settings of 5 seconds / 300 frames, 1920x1080 resolution, and 60 FPS. The project files for the challenge can be downloaded from here. Submissions can be made through this online form.
The submission deadline for the "Grand Discovery" challenge is the 9th of September, with the challenge officially commencing on the 21st of July. Winners will be announced shortly after the competition closes.
Prizes sponsored by Gaea, Metashoot, and KitBash will be awarded to the top three participants as follows:
- First Place
Gaea Enterprise License (worth $299) - Meta Shoot License (worth $249) - 1 x KitBash of choice (worth $199) - Second Place
Gaea Professional License (worth $199) - Meta Shoot License (worth $249) - Third Place
Gaea Indie License (worth $99) - Meta Shoot License (worth $249)
For more information on the "Grand Discovery" challenge, visit the official Discord server. Don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.