Hacktoberfest 2026 Changed the Rules. Here's How to Actually Join In This October
If your mental model of Hacktoberfest is still "open four pull requests against any public repo, get a T-shirt or a tree planted," that model is gone in 2026. Good news first: this isn't Hacktoberfest going away or getting stingier, it's a genuine rebuild, and if you've ever felt like the old PR-quota format was more grind than community, the new one is worth a second look. Why it changed…
Hacktoberfest 2026 has changed its rules, moving away from the old pull request quota system. This year's event is organized by Major League Hacking (MLH) and DEV, in partnership with DigitalOcean, and is centered around local Fests (one-day, in-person events) rather than individual pull requests. These Fests focus on hands-on learning with open-source AI and open-weight models through talks, workshops, and collaborative projects.
Online participation is also available through a Swag Envelope program for those unable to attend a Fest. T-shirts are still awarded at in-person Fests, but not to online participants. The new format aims to provide a lower-pressure entry point for those interested in open-source contributions. To find Fests near you, visit the Hacktoberfest Fests page and filter by country.
Keep in mind that Swag Envelope milestones have not been announced, so any swag received should be considered a bonus, not a guarantee.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
