Jess Lee

for The DEV Team

Posted on Apr 22

Tune In and Join the Google Cloud NEXT '26 Writing Challenge: $1,000 in Prizes!

#devchallenge #googlecloud #cloudnextchallenge

Announcing the Google Cloud NEXT '26 Writing Challenge

Google Cloud NEXT '26 is kicking off today (April 22) and runs through April 24 – we're launching this new writing challenge right alongside it!

Running through April 29, the Google Cloud NEXT Writing Challenge is your invitation to explore, experiment, and write about what has you most excited from this year's releases, keynotes, and sessions – tune into the livestream and dig into the announcements as they drop.

Tune In to Google Cloud NEXT '26

Catch everything as it unfolds live here on DEV, from April 22 - 24:

📺 Opening Keynote Livestream: Live today (April 22) at 9:00 AM PT
👩‍💻 Developer Keynote: Tune in tomorrow (April 23) at 10:30 AM PT

We'll be streaming both keynotes directly on the DEV homepage.

In addition to the keynotes, we'll be streaming developer sessions all throughout the two days, so keep an eye on the DEV homepage across the full run of Google Cloud NEXT!

Our Prompt

Explore the Google Cloud NEXT '26 announcements and pick the release, update, or livestream session that speaks to you, and tell us about it.

We encourage you to play around with any new products (if applicable) to form your opinions but even if you're in the "reading the docs" phase, we want your take. Share your highlights and critiques with us!

Google Cloud NEXT Challenge Submission Template

Your submission might look like:

A hands-on tutorial or walkthrough of something you tried
A written reflection on an announcement or keynote point and what it means for developers
An opinion piece on the update you think is most underrated or overlooked
A first-look or "getting started" guide for a new tool or feature

The most compelling submissions will go beyond summary, they'll offer a genuine perspective for the community.

Judging Criteria

Clarity & Quality: Is it well-written, engaging, and easy to follow?
Usefulness: Will the community learn something or be inspired by reading it?
Depth & Insight: Does it go beyond surface-level summary to offer a genuine perspective?

Prizes

Five winners will each receive:

$200 USD
DEV++ Membership
Exclusive DEV badge

All participants will a valid submission will receive a completion badge.

How To Participate

Explore the Google Cloud NEXT '26 announcements, then publish a post on DEV using the submission template provided above.

Please review our judging criteria, rules, guidelines, and FAQ page before submitting so you understand our participation guidelines and official contest rules such as eligibility requirements.

Important Dates

April 22: Google Cloud NEXT Writing Challenge begins!
April 23: Developer Keynote at 10:30 AM PDT
April 24: Google Cloud NEXT wraps!
April 29: Submissions due at 11:59 PM PDT
May 7: Winners Announced

We can't wait to read what you discover. Questions about the challenge? Ask them below.

Good luck and happy writing!

Top comments (12)

Ben Halpern The DEV Team • Apr 22

Good luck everyone!

Jess Lee The DEV Team • Apr 22

@thisisryanswift please bring us news from on the ground 😄

Bashir Jafri • Apr 23

Really appreciate how you're tying the writing challenge to the NEXT '26 livestreams!

Aashita • Apr 23

As a student builder, this challenge was exactly what I needed to stop just 'prompting' and start thinking about real architecture. Good luck to everyone participating! feel free to check out my post: [dev.to/aashitanegii/vibes-dont-sca...]

Danson githuka • Apr 23 • Edited

I am a student from kenya and i would like you to view my post and also get to learn what we have been building. I want to that the organizers of this challenge for making it happen so that students like me can share what they are building. I will be sharing the link to my post [dev.to/danson_githuka_2021630445/b...] Feel free to look at itmore so the students and young developers

Asif Fareed • Apr 23

This looks like a great opportunity to explore what’s new in Google Cloud. I’m especially interested in how these updates can help developers build faster and more scalable tools. Looking forward to seeing what the community shares!