This Tuesday marked the kick-off of the 16th annual Ubisoft Game Lab Competition. 

This year, 186 students from 12 Quebec universities are taking on a challenge that hits home with both devs and players alike. Their main quest? Build a game prototype inspired by a theme pulled straight from gaming’s glory days.  

Alex Dandurand, lead producer on For Honor and jury president, shared the brief with the 24 participating teams. 

“We wanted a challenge that looks simple at first glance, but really pushes teams to be creative, focused, and disciplined—while staying fun. So, we’re sending them back to the ’80s and ’90s. It’s a legendary era that still influences pop culture and video games today. Teams will channel that retro vibe through iconic colour palettes, throwback visuals, simple controls, classic gameplay mechanics, and even historical themes that shaped our collective imagination. We can’t wait to see what they come up with.” 

Over the 10-week competition, each team will be paired with two mentors from Ubisoft’s Quebec studios. Once the game prototypes are completed, all teams will come to present them at the Montreal studio before a jury of experts, who will evaluate them and determine the nominated and winning teams.

Winners will be revealed at a gala where 10 awards and more than $50,000 in scholarships will be handed out. This year ups the stakes with higher scholarship amounts and a brand-new award celebrating game accessibility.  

Good luck to all the teams!