The air is getting crisp, the nights are drawing in, and a new coding challenge is brewing. Welcome to Kiroween, the latest and spookiest hackathon from Kiro. Following the success of previous events, Kiroween is set to be bigger, better, and more thrilling than ever.
The Evolution of a Challenge
Kiro is no stranger to the hackathon scene. The Code with Kiro Hackathon and the Reddit x Kiro: Community Games Challenge 2025 have already seen developers build incredible applications, from multiplayer games to AI-powered sales tools. These events have showcased the power of Kiro's AI IDE, which goes beyond simple code generation to become a true development partner.
What's Brewing in the Cauldron?
Kiroween is a Halloween-themed hackathon that challenges you to "dare to code in dark mode". With a massive $100,000 in prizes up for grabs across 12 categories and for 66 winners, this is an event you won't want to miss. The grand prize winner will take home a staggering $30,000.
This year, Kiro is introducing a range of spooky categories to get your creative juices flowing:
- Resurrection: Breathe new life into your favorite obsolete technology.
- Frankenstein: Stitch together a monstrous creation from a combination of different technologies.
- Skeleton Crew: Build a lean, flexible code template and demonstrate its versatility.
- Costume Contest: Design an application with a hauntingly beautiful user interface.
In addition to these categories, there's a special $10,000 prize for the Best Startup Project, giving founders a chance to rapidly prototype their next big idea.
Why You Should Join the Fray
Kiroween is more than just a competition; it's an opportunity to experience the future of software development. Kiro's agentic IDE, with features like specs, agent hooks, and steering, allows you to build complex applications faster than ever before. To help you on your quest, all participants will receive access to the Kiro Pro+ tier for the duration of the hackathon.
You'll also have the chance to connect with a thriving community of developers on the dedicated #kiroween-hackathon Discord channel. Share ideas, form teams, and get support from the Kiro team and fellow participants.
How to Get Started
The Kiroween hackathon runs from October 31, 2025, to December 5, 2025. Ready to bring your most monstrous ideas to life? Head over to Devpost to register and join the fun.
Build something wicked for Kiroween
Don't be a scaredy-cat. Embrace the darkness and get ready to code.