💖 Friendzone Buildathon | News, Updates & Announcements

DCL Regenesis Labs
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Hey Decentraland Community :sparkles:

This is the central thread for news and announcements about the Friendzone Buildathon.

From August 14 to September 4, creators have three weeks to build a social experience in a Decentraland World, designed and optimized with Decentraland Mobile in mind.

Build a social hangout, multiplayer activity, cooperative challenge, competitive game or something completely new that gives people a reason to connect, stay longer, invite friends and come back.

Rewards

  • $8,000 in MANA prizes
  • $30 Decentraland Merch Shop voucher for the first 50 eligible participants
  • Exclusive Friendzone Badge for eligible participants
  • Top 10 projects may receive special featuring in Decentraland Mobile App

Builder Support

Throughout the three-week build phase, we’ll provide:

  • Workshops
  • Builder Ressources
  • Feedback and troubleshooting sessions

Key Dates

August 14: Buildathon Kickoff
August 14 – September 4: Build Phase
September 4: Submission Deadline
September 5–11: Judging
September 13: Winner Reveal & Closing Event

Join the Buildathon

Pre-registration is already open on DoraHacks, which will be the central destination for all Buildathon information, resources and submissions. Go check it out!

:backhand_index_pointing_right: REGISTER NOW

:page_facing_up: By participating, you agree to the Friendzone Buildathon Terms & Conditions

We’ll keep this thread updated with workshops, important announcements, submission reminders and results throughout Friendzone.

See you in the Friendzone :dizzy:

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:dizzy: Friendzone Update #1: Help Us Bring New Builders In

One of our goals for Friendzone is to bring new builders into Decentraland and introduce some fresh faces to our creator ecosystem.

We want to use the pre-registration phase to reach beyond our existing community and actively introduce the Buildathon in relevant Discord communities, builder groups, creator spaces or X Spaces.

This is where I’d love your help! :eyes:

Know a Discord server, community or X Space where Friendzone could be a good fit? Drop the name or link below, or send it directly to me! If you’re already connected to the community and can make an introduction, even better​:dizzy:

I’ll take it from there, reach out to the right people and handle the Friendzone promotion.

Let’s bring some new builders into the Friendzone!

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I’m very excited for this one! Finally a game jam/hackathon focused on multiplayer. I will try to create an experience which will be fun if played with more people. Can’t wait what others will build! :mechanical_arm:

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This is a great idea @toxicwaifu I have some thoughts and will be sending them your way.

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:dizzy: Friendzone Update #2: The Event Schedule is Live!

The Friendzone Buildathon event schedule is now live on the Decentraland Events page :sparkles:

And we’re starting tomorrow!

:rocket: AMA + Kickoff

:date: Friday, August 14
:alarm_clock: 5PM UTC
:round_pushpin: Discord + In-World

We’ll officially kick off Friendzone, walk through the Buildathon, answer questions and get everyone ready for the three-week build phase.

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Join the AMA + Kickoff

You can also already save the upcoming workshops and sessions:

Hope to see you tomorrow for the kickoff! :dizzy:

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:dizzy: Update #3: Friendzone Buildathon is officially underway!

Yesterday we hosted the Friendzone Buildathon AMA & Kickoff and officially opened the three-week build phase!

We walked through the theme, rules, prizes, judging process, upcoming workshops and some of the most important things to keep in mind when building for the Decentraland Mobile App.

A few key takeaways:

:mobile_phone: Think mobile-first from the start | Touch controls, small screens, performance and accessibility matter

:people_hugging: Make it social | Projects should encourage interaction, cooperation, competition or shared participation

:video_game: Keep it persistent | Submissions need to work as standalone experiences without a scheduled host or event during the whole judging period

:sparkles: Small and polished can beat big and complicated

:trophy: There’s an $8,000 MANA prize pool, plus merch rewards, Friendzone badges and potential featuring in the Decentraland Mobile App

:balance_scale: Projects will be judged across seven criteria, including Mobile-First Experience, Social Value, Mobile UX, Performance, Creativity, Retention and Overall Execution

:hammer_and_wrench: Builders will be supported throughout the next three weeks with workshops, Show & Tell, troubleshooting sessions and direct Discord support in the Friendzone Buildathon Chat on the Decentraland Discord

And this is only the beginning! Our first workshop starts today with Nico E and will focus on getting started with Creator Hub.

:movie_camera: Missed the kickoff? Watch the recording here

Happy building and good luck creating the Friendzone nobody wants to leave :dizzy:

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:dizzy: Friendzone Update #4: Workshop #1: Creator Hub Recap & Recording

Yesterday we hosted our first Friendzone Buildathon Workshop together with Nico E from the Decentraland Foundation, focusing on getting started with Creator Hub and building your first Decentraland scene.

A few key takeaways:

  • :hammer_and_wrench: Getting started | You mainly need Creator Hub, a code editor or AI tool, a Decentraland Name for publishing and a GitHub account

  • :brick: Creator Hub gives you multiple ways to build | Start from a template, create a new scene, import an existing project or combine drag & drop building with code

  • :mobile_phone: Preview directly on mobile | Creator Hub supports desktop, web and mobile previews that update as you make changes

  • :bar_chart: Measure while you build | Use the console, triangle and texture counters, asset bundle validation and FPS metrics to spot problems early

  • :robot: AI can interact directly with your scene | The MCP Server allows AI tools to move through scenes, click objects, take screenshots and inspect performance

  • :brain: Install the SDK Skills before vibe coding | This gives AI tools Decentraland-specific context and helps avoid invalid code or parameters

  • :counterclockwise_arrows_button: Build in small steps | Create one feature, test it, improve it and then continue instead of asking AI to build an entire game at once

  • :chart_increasing: Publishing is only the beginning | Creator Hub now also includes analytics for visitors, session length and retention

Nico’s top three tips for mobile-friendly scenes:

:mobile_phone: Keep it simple | Fewer mechanics and less happening on screen at once

:high_voltage: Design for short sessions | The first 30 seconds should give players a reason to stay

:backhand_index_pointing_up: Respect the screen | Use readable text, large touch targets and mobile-friendly UI instead of relying heavily on precise 3D clicking

:movie_camera: Missed the workshop? Watch the full recording here

Workshop resources:

:link: Creator Hub:

:link: Buy a Decentraland Name:

:link: Preview on Mobile:

:link: Cursor:

:link: VS Code:

:link: Claude Desktop & Claude Code:

:link: SDK 101:

:link: Other Useful Creator Resources:

Next up: “Workshop #2: Building for Mobile” on Tuesday, August 18 at 5PM UTC :dizzy:

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:dizzy: Friendzone Update #5: Friendzone Buildathon at Beyond The NFT

I’ll be joining Beyond The NFT as @SinfulMeatStick’s guest to talk about the Friendzone Buildathon and the idea behind the theme.

We’ll also look at what makes social experiences worth coming back to, how digital spaces can grow into real communities and what helps those spaces start to feel like home.

:date: Tuesday, August 18
:alarm_clock: 12 AM UTC

Missed the kickoff weekend? This is also a good chance to catch up on the Buildathon, get the key details and learn how to get involved

:backhand_index_pointing_right: See event details here