Zohran Mamdani Launches Two-Day NYC Youth Video Game Design Competition With a Transit Twist Ahead of ‘GTA 6’ Launch (EXCLUSIVE)

Nov 13, 2026 7:00am PT Zohran Mamdani Launches Two-Day NYC Youth Video Game Design Competition With a Transit Twist Ahead of ‘GTA 6’ Launch (EXCLUSIVE)

By Jennifer Maas

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Jennifer Maas

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@jmaasaronson

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This weekend, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani will debut a youth video game design competition in the headquarter city of “Grand Theft Auto 6” developer Rockstar Games just ahead of the much-hyped game’s Nov. 19 release.

Launching Saturday, the NYC Game Jam is a two-day competition in which young New Yorkers design and build a video game around a set theme.

The inaugural inspiration for the competition is the theme “Get There Already,” a transit-based concept that is more family friendly than the M-rated “Grand Theft Auto” franchise. Per the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, “Participants will build a game about getting across the city. Every game must be about transit or the experience of getting around a city, suitable for all ages, and free of violence, weapons, and other illicit activity.”

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