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Ladder open now FCL 2027 in development

Write a Python bot, put it on a live ladder, and find out if you're in the top 1%. €20K prize pool in FCL 2026

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FCL 2026 was supported by
Stockholm Copenhagen Oslo Helsinki Gothenburg Reykjavik Århus Bergen Tampere Malmö Ladder Open Building FCL 2027 Stockholm Copenhagen Oslo Helsinki Gothenburg Reykjavik Århus Bergen Tampere Malmö Ladder Open Building FCL 2027
01

What You Build

You write a Python bot that controls a whole team on a grid map: a Core, the builder bots it spawns, and the turrets and machines they build. Once you submit it, it plays on its own. Destroy the enemy Core to win.

Both teams' bots and conveyor lines meeting in the middle of the map
The GameTwo teams meet in the middle
Objective 01
Secure resources and expand territory
Objective 02
Coordinate dozens of units at once
Objective 03
Adapt to changing conditions in real time
Objective 04
Outmaneuver opponents on the live ladder
You're not playing the game. You're building the player.
02

How to Start

Language Python
Teams Solo or up to 4 people
Open to Everyone, 16+, any country. Free.
Experience Not required. Fast learning is.
01Create a free account on the platform
02Create a team or join a friend's. Solo is fine, up to 4 people
03Get the starter bot and follow the tutorials to learn the game
04Submit. Your bot joins the ladder and plays rated matches automatically, all day
05Watch your replays, improve, and climb. Ranks from Bronze to Legendary Grandmaster unlock after 100 matches
From zero to the ladder
# Python 3.12 or 3.13
pip install fcode

fcode login                # link your account
fcode starter              # starter bot + maps
fcode run starter starter  # local match
fcode watch replay.replay26
fcode submit bots/starter  # you're on the ladder
Full docs and tutorials are on the platform once you sign in.
03

Why Join

€20K

Cash prize pool in FCL 2026, split between the teams that won each category. Prizes for 2027 will be announced with the season. Between seasons, sprint tournaments have prizes of their own.

€ € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € €
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Get noticed by Europe's best AI companies

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Direct exposure to top VC firms

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Fast, honest feedback: every match is a replay you can watch

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Help shape the 2027 game before anyone else plays it

Speaker on stage in front of the 2026 Nordic Programming Championship screen and sponsor logos
Finals 2026On stage in Stockholm
Competitors and guests gathered around a poker table at the finals
Finals 2026Poker at the finals
04

The Road to FCL 2027

FCL 2026 ran online through August 2026 and ended with live finals in Stockholm. The game doesn't stop between seasons. The ladder stays open while we build the 2027 game, and you can help decide what goes into it.

  1. Done
    August 2026
    FCL 2026 season and Stockholm finals
  2. Live
    Now
    Ladder open, new mechanics in development
  3. Ongoing
    Off-season
    Test sprints with prizes for each new mechanic
  4. To be announced
    2027
    FCL 2027 season
New mechanics
The game grows through the off-season. Your bot will need to adapt, and that's the point.
Test sprints
Each new mechanic gets a short tournament with a prize, where we play it and try to break it.
Two weeks' notice
Engine, SDK, docs and changelog ship together, at least two weeks before any sprint tests them.
You vote
Ideas for 2027 are posted on Discord. Vote and discuss. The most voted idea gets built first.
05

The Ladder

One ladder for everyone. Matches are best of five, and every result moves your rating. You can resubmit as often as you like; only your active bot plays.

Example ladderIllustration, not real teams
#TeamUniversityPts
1
0xDEADBEEF
🇸🇪
KTH
2,847
2
segfault.exe
🇫🇮
Aalto
2,831
3
NullPtr
🇩🇰
DTU
2,819
4
git blame --hard
🇳🇴
NTNU
2,756
5
rm -rf /*
🇸🇪
None / Dropout
2,701
6
O(1) or bust
🇫🇮
None / Dropout
2,688
7
undefined.js
🇩🇰
Copenhagen
2,644
8
heap_overflow
🇸🇪
Chalmers
2,601
06

Last Season

FCL 2026 started online and ended on stage in Stockholm. These are last year's numbers. The format, finalist count and prizes for 2027 may be different, and will be announced with the season.

Finalist Teams, 2026
32
Top teams from the online season competed live in Stockholm
Online Season, 2026
3 weeks
August 2026, on the live ladder. The 2027 season may run differently.
Four finalists watching a match, with Nordic flags on the table
Finals 2026Finalists watching the matches
07

From the Finalists

We talked to FCL 2026 finalists at the live finals in Stockholm.

“It’s such a fun format, anything can happen. There’s been almost a surprising amount of excitement in every match.”

Axel, 24, and Isak, 23
Team “The Flotte Experience” · KTH students · FCL 2026 finalists

“There are people who’ve come along from Anthropic and their companies, and that’s been really inspiring.”

Jonathan, 24, Viktor, 23, and Lucas, 23
Team “Powered by SmartFridge” · DTU students · FCL 2026 finalists

“The competition as a whole, it’s been fun competing. And it’s been fun today also to talk with other teams about how they solve things.”

Adam, 22
Team “Besvikomat” · Engineering Mathematics, KTH · FCL 2026 finalist
Many top universities represented
KTH
Aalto University
DTU
Chalmers
NTNU
Lund University
Uppsala University
University of Copenhagen
University of Helsinki
SSE
Not at one of these universities, or any university? You can still join. FCL is open to anyone, anywhere. No degree required.
08

New to This?

Most participants haven't done competitive coding before. That's not a barrier, it's the point. You get everything you need to start and iterate fast.

ProvidedA working starter bot that gets you onto the ladder immediately
ProvidedShort interactive tutorials covering the fundamentals
ProvidedA replay of every match, so you can see exactly why you lost
ProvidedA Discord full of people arguing about strategy
What actually matters
->How fast you learn
->How you think under pressure
->How you adapt when your system loses
09

Questions

Can I join right now?

Yes. FCL 2026 is over, but the ladder never closed. Create an account, submit a bot, and it starts playing rated matches straight away.

Who can compete?

Anyone aged 16 or over, from any country. If you are under 18 you need a parent or guardian's consent. FCL is built with university students in mind, but you do not need to be one.

Is it only for the Nordics?

No. Every team gets two labels based on the majority of its members: Nordic or non-Nordic, and student or non-student. Categories and prizes are built on those labels, so everyone competes on the same ladder.

What language do I write in?

Python, version 3.12 or 3.13. The starter bot, the tutorials and the fcode CLI are all Python.

Do I need a team?

No. You can play solo or in a team of up to 4 people.

Does it cost anything?

No. Entry is free.

When does FCL 2027 start?

Dates, format and prizes for the 2027 season have not been announced yet. They will be posted on Discord and on this page. Until then, the ladder and the sprints are the best way to get ready.

Will the game change before 2027?

Yes, on purpose. New mechanics ship as one release with the engine, SDK, docs and changelog updated together, and always at least two weeks before any sprint that tests them.

Spectators watching the final matches in Stockholm
Finals 2026Stockholm, August 2026
Your bot could be on the ladder tonight.
Free -- Python -- Solo or teams of up to 4
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