The 4th Universal Cup Semifinals Are Coming!
The 4th Universal Cup Semifinals will take place on October 11, 2026, Beijing time (UTC+8). As in previous years, the event will be an online team contest. For the first time, the contest will run for six hours. Top-performing teams will have a chance to qualify for the 4th Universal Cup Finals.
Official Announcement¶
Universal Cup Co-Chair Qingyu Shi has shared an announcement covering this year's Semifinals, the changes to the contest format, and important requirements for participants. Here is the announcement.
Hello, everyone!
Hi all!
It has been quite a while since my last post about the Universal Cup, so here is proof that we are still alive and kicking :) We are excited to announce that The 4th Universal Cup Semifinals will take place on October 11th, 2026!
As in previous seasons, the Semifinals will be held online, and top-performing teams will have the opportunity to advance to The 4th Universal Cup Finals, which we hope to hold in 2027.
Starting this season, we are introducing the new contest format: the Semifinals will be 6-hour contests. The idea of extending the contest duration was first discussed before The 3rd Universal Cup Finals, and we would like to use this opportunity to see how well a longer team contest format works for our competition. Based on how the Semifinals go, we will decide whether to adopt a similar format for The 4th Universal Cup Finals.
The draft of the detailed rules can be found here. But if you do not want to go through the full document, here is the TL;DR:
- The contest will be a 6-hour team programming contest with approximately 10–15 problems.
- The contest will start at 10:00 UTC on October 11th, 2026.
- As always, there will be no partial scoring, and the scoreboard will be live.
- The scoreboard will be frozen 4.5 hours after the start of the contest.
- Recordings are required for all teams wishing to qualify for the Finals. We require screen recordings of every workstation used by the team, as well as video recordings of all team members during the contest. These recordings will be used solely to validate contest performance and will not be published or shared with anyone outside the Universal Cup.
- All Universal Cup Contest Rules, including the rules regarding the fair use of AI models, continue to apply.
We look forward to seeing you in the Semifinals!
qingyu
Contest Rules¶
Click here to view the full rules document.
Schedule¶
All times below are Beijing time (UTC+8).
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| October 11 | 15:00–17:00 | System Test |
| October 11 | 18:00–24:00 | Official Contest |
| October 11 | Approximately 22:30 | Scoreboard Freeze |
Format at a Glance¶
- 6 HOURS · A longer contest: This is the first year with a six-hour format, testing teamwork, pacing, and the ability to perform consistently over a longer contest.
- 10–15 PROBLEMS · More challenges: Expect 10 to 15 problems of various types. There will be no partial scores; a submission earns an official AC only after passing the complete evaluation.
- 4.5 HOURS · Scoreboard freeze: The scoreboard will be frozen four and a half hours after the contest begins.
Note: For the detailed recording requirements, permitted uses of AI, and appeals process, refer to the complete official contest rules.
Registration¶
Share the Event and Win UCUP Merchandise¶
Share the original WeChat article on WeChat Moments or in a competitive-programming QQ or WeChat group. Then scan the QR code below to submit a screenshot of your share and enter the giveaway.
Eligible participants will be entered into a random draw for UCUP merchandise!
Entry deadline: September 20, 2026, at 23:59.
The winners will be announced in the comments of the original WeChat article, so please check for updates. Each person may enter only once. You may conceal unrelated chat content and personal information in your screenshot.
Special Thanks to Our Sponsor¶
We thank Huawei for sponsoring and supporting the 4th Universal Cup Semifinals! We look forward to working together to bring competitive-programming enthusiasts around the world an exciting, fair, and challenging contest.
