Last Saturday, May 30, the Karel Challenge 2026 finals took place at the Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB), located on UPC’s Campus Nord. Throughout the day, more than one hundred young programmers from different Codelearn centers competed in the final stage of one of the most anticipated competitions of the academic year. The Karel Challenge, Codelearn’s own programming eSport, tests participants’ skills in logic, speed, strategy, and coding accuracy. As usual, finalists were divided into two age-based categories: Junior and Senior.
The competition began in the morning with the Junior category participants, who arrived at the Vèrtex Building at 10:00 a.m. to check in and prepare for the first rounds. After some final adjustments and a few pre-match nerves, the young programmers started competing in simultaneous four-player matches. The objective was the same as in every edition: control the Karel robot, collect all the beepers on the map, avoid obstacles, and reach the finish line before the other competitors. Several qualifying rounds were played throughout the morning until the decisive stages, where the top-ranked participants competed for a place in the grand final.
The Final Four featured two representatives from Codelearn Andorra, Albert Dodero and Pol Foix, who faced Roger Torres (Sant Andreu) and Jordi Gifreu (Banyoles). After an intense final match in which all four competitors demonstrated outstanding problem-solving skills, Roger Torres successfully defended his title and became the Karel Challenge Junior champion for the second consecutive year. In addition to the championship trophy, he received a Nintendo Switch 2 and bonus points on the Codelearn platform. The other finalists also earned points and a Nintendo Switch Lite as a reward for their hard work throughout the year and especially during the competition.
After the lunch break, it was time for the Senior category finalists to take the stage. Year after year, this category continues to raise the level of competition, with increasingly challenging maps that demand a combination of speed, planning, and adaptability. This year, the qualifying rounds were also combined with a new doubles competition format, which added extra excitement and variety to the afternoon.
The four Senior finalists were Nicole Dobra (Banyoles), Elies Aynès (Manresa), Sergi Ventosa (Igualada), and Dani Barrera (Sabadell). Once again, the Final Four remained highly competitive until the very end. The match lasted more than 20 minutes, and after a tense battle, Elies Aynès emerged as the winner of the Karel Challenge Senior category. As champion, he received the winner’s trophy, a gaming laptop, and bonus points on the platform. Just like in the Junior category, the other finalists also received points and a Nintendo Switch Lite.
All participants from both categories left FIB with a finalist medal. In addition, several prizes were raffled off during the awards ceremony, including board games, gaming consoles, laptops, monitors, gaming keyboards, summer camp vouchers, and other technology-related gifts. Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed this in-person event, and all participants demonstrated excellent attitudes, great sportsmanship, and a genuine desire to have fun. We would therefore like to thank all finalists for their participation, as well as their families for their support and attendance, and the FIB–UPC for helping make this final event possible.