The KVR Developer Challenge 2026 Is Go

[darkpalacestudios]

My view is that as long as a plugin doesn't turn into something fundamentally different from what it already is, this shouldn't affect its standing in the competition. For example, if a plugin like "Parrot" gains a new option — something non-obvious, perhaps, but still within its existing scope of functionality — something that doesn't change what the plugin fundamentally is, but merely adds to or fixes it — then in practice that changes nothing of substance. If a plugin like "Parrot" was good before, it's still good after adding option C: everything continues to work as it did, plus there's now something extra, or something has been fixed. The situation might look somewhat different only if the plugin evolved from a small frog into a dinosaur — that is, turned into something fundamentally different. But since the way points are awarded can be freely changed or rearranged at any time anyway, I'm not even sure I'd rule that out either.

Funny you mention our PARROT, we currently have a little bug in our build where the input gain slider doesn't work, haha (the output gain slider does work, though). We have already fixed the bug for our v1.0.1 build, which we will release soon. Though, if there are people that don't download the newest build, it's totally fine. Our work can be tested and enjoyed as intended on v1.0.0, also without a working input gain slider.

That said, we're all humans trying to improve and make our work as representable as possible for this challenge, small issues can always happen and is also part of this lovely journey!

We hope everyone is having a great time trying out all the cool plug-ins, we definitely are!

[1eqinfinity]

I still think that the easiest definition of a "new feature" is anything that was not in the initial UI.

Maybe this is a bit too strict. At the end of the day, it's not about winning these $400 or the title (the competition is too multidimentional for a single winner), it's about having fun and respecting each other.

If you need to add a ton of internal stuff to fix a corner case with some MIDI modulation - it's fine. But if you add a "relative" MIDI mode next to pre-existing "absolute" - it is a new feature.

If your LFO shape switch didn't work correctly, fixing it is fine. If you add a new LFO shape - that's a new feature.

If an author decided to cheat and had added a whole bunch of LFO shapes to the UI without any actual implementations inside - he/she is going to pay the penalty by simply getting lower reviews for such intentional "bugs".

Having said that, just yesterday I found a minor regression in my custom user layout functionality. I give a user the option of putting together a custom control panel to keep the controls that matter for their use case. However, I realized that the vertical spacers disappeared at some point later in pre-release builds, and I did not notice that in time. So I released the plugin with horizontal spacers, but the vertical ones were not there, and they were not even in the context menus. So by my own definition fixing this regression is cheating

[nr1killabee]

I understand and respect the rules for this contest but it is a missed chance if you ask me. For me the KVR was always an opportunity to interact as a user with the developpers. report bugs and ask for small features (like drag and drop of samples).
This should inspire the developper to work on his entry in the voting period and gives him the possibility to receive lots of feedback from us users.

I can't remember other DC's where this discussion was so alive?
Maybe Ben should indeed clear up some rule details ?
Because adding a "relative" MIDI mode next to pre-existing "absolute mode shouldn't be considered as a new feature right?

I also believe that when you (as a developper) miss the interactive opportunity with the users, most of the developpers will consider their entry as "done" and will not return to it after the contest to add stuff, that is ofcourse only my opinion.

On the other hand, when you delivered a product that is 100% done with no bugs or missing features...I do understand the frustration

[Frits van Zanten]

Stupid question, but what is the appropriate place to give feedback on or comment the specific entries/plugins?

[nr1killabee]

When the developper didn't already, just make a thread in the KVR Developer Challenge 2026 with the name of the entry as a title, that's how I did it.
There is also the option to write comments on the product page, but those are hidden so much that others will not see them.