The City of Zagreb has announced the fifth edition of HACKL, a hackathon for an open Zagreb, which will take place from June 12 to June 14, 2026, at ZICER, the Zagreb Innovation Center. This year's edition carries the theme Zagreb Game Jam, and participants will be tasked with designing the most interesting and innovative video game using 3D data from the City of Zagreb.
At HACKL 2026, developers, designers, students, gamers, startup founders, IT professionals, and all enthusiasts interested in developing creative digital solutions can apply. Competitors will be divided into multidisciplinary teams, and at the beginning of the event, they will receive a brief training on using the Unity plugin for 3D models of the City of Zagreb. Participants are not limited to Unity, but can also use other programming tools and solutions.
Applications are open via the official website hackl.zicer.hr, where the “Apply” button can be found. The organizers recommend that interested parties check the hackathon rules before applying.
During the three days, teams will develop their ideas with mentoring support, while the final day will be reserved for presenting solutions to a professional jury. The best team will win €3,000.00 and the opportunity for continued collaboration with the City of Zagreb until the final realization of the project. The second-place team will receive €2,000.00, and the third-place team €1,000.00.
The program begins on Friday, June 12, 2026, with participant registration, an introductory greeting, presentation of the goals and concept of the hackathon, introductory lectures, and grouping of participants into teams. Saturday is reserved for working on ideas, testing, and mentoring, while on Sunday, June 14, 2026, final presentations and the announcement of winners will take place.
