The special sponsor challenges we teased about are now live! Check them out and let us know what you think. We think they’re pretty great. But hey, we’re biased.

We should stress that these challenges are sort of like mini-contests within a contest. They have their own judging criteria and prizes, but also require adherence to all the normal Rumble rules (48 hours, etc etc). Participating in a challenge match will not affect your chances of winning the main competition in any way. However, if you do opt to compete in one of them, there are some fantastic dev opportunities and prizes to be had. Maybe we should have called them bonus rounds, right?

Here are the first three. A special fourth challenge should be announced in the very near future.

• Zencoder Challenge: Best Use of Video/Audio
• Oneforty and Compass Labs Challenge: Best Use of the Twitter API
• Chargify Challenge: Most Potential to Monetize

Many thanks to Oneforty, Compass Labs, Zencoder, and Chargify, who have not only offered up some cool swag, but also their time and effort to make these contests fun. If you have questions, post em here, or feel free to get in touch with the sponsor contacts listed on the challenge pages.