diff --git a/app/api/og/hackathons/[id]/route.tsx b/app/api/og/hackathons/[id]/route.tsx
index 7516f1e1005..ce538d6f790 100644
--- a/app/api/og/hackathons/[id]/route.tsx
+++ b/app/api/og/hackathons/[id]/route.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,112 @@
 import type { NextRequest } from 'next/server';
 import { ImageResponse } from 'next/og';
 import { loadFonts, createOGResponse } from '@/utils/og-image';
-import { getHackathon } from '@/server/services/hackathons';
+import axios from 'axios';
 
 export const runtime = 'edge';
 
+// Helper function to generate OG variant URL from banner URL
+function generateOGBannerUrl(bannerUrl: string): string {
+  try {
+    const url = new URL(bannerUrl);
+    const pathname = url.pathname;
+    const lastDotIndex = pathname.lastIndexOf('.');
+    
+    if (lastDotIndex === -1) {
+      // No extension found, just append -og
+      url.pathname = pathname + '-og';
+      return url.toString();
+    }
+    
+    // Insert -og before the extension
+    const basePath = pathname.substring(0, lastDotIndex);
+    const extension = pathname.substring(lastDotIndex);
+    url.pathname = basePath + '-og' + extension;
+    return url.toString();
+  } catch {
+    // If URL parsing fails, try simple string replacement
+    const lastDotIndex = bannerUrl.lastIndexOf('.');
+    if (lastDotIndex === -1) {
+      return bannerUrl + '-og';
+    }
+    return bannerUrl.substring(0, lastDotIndex) + '-og' + bannerUrl.substring(lastDotIndex);
+  }
+}
+
+// Helper function to try loading an image and return ImageResponse if successful
+async function tryLoadImage(
+  imageUrl: string,
+  hackathonTitle: string,
+  fonts: { medium: ArrayBuffer, light: ArrayBuffer, regular: ArrayBuffer }
+): Promise<ImageResponse | null> {
+  try {
+    const imageResponse = await axios.get(imageUrl, {
+      responseType: 'arraybuffer',
+      headers: {
+        'Accept': 'image/*',
+      },
+    });
+
+    const imageBuffer = imageResponse.data;
+    
+    if (!imageBuffer || imageBuffer.byteLength === 0) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    
+    const contentType = imageResponse.headers['content-type'] || 'image/png';
+    
+    // Skip WebP images as they cause issues with ImageResponse
+    if (contentType.includes('webp') || contentType === 'image/webp') {
+      return null;
+    }
+    
+    // Convert ArrayBuffer to base64 in Edge Runtime
+    const base64 = btoa(
+      new Uint8Array(imageBuffer).reduce(
+        (data, byte) => data + String.fromCharCode(byte),
+        ''
+      )
+    );
+    const imageDataUrl = `data:${contentType};base64,${base64}`;
+
+    return new ImageResponse(
+      (
+        <div
+          style={{
+            display: 'flex',
+            height: '100%',
+            width: '100%',
+            position: 'relative',
+            overflow: 'hidden',
+          }}
+        >
+          <img
+            src={imageDataUrl}
+            alt={hackathonTitle}
+            style={{
+              width: '100%',
+              height: '100%',
+              objectFit: 'cover',
+            }}
+          />
+        </div>
+      ),
+      {
+        width: 1280,
+        height: 720,
+        fonts: [
+          { name: 'Geist-Medium', data: fonts.medium, weight: 600 },
+          { name: 'Geist-Mono', data: fonts.regular, weight: 500 },
+          { name: 'Geist-Light', data: fonts.light, weight: 300 }
+        ],
+      }
+    );
+  } catch (error: any) {
+    // Return null if image fails to load (404, network error, etc.)
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
 export async function GET(
   request: NextRequest,
   { params }: { params: Promise<{ id: string }> }
@@ -13,7 +115,16 @@ export async function GET(
   const fonts = await loadFonts();
 
   try {
-    const hackathon = await getHackathon(id);
+    const res = await axios.get(
+      `${process.env.NEXTAUTH_URL}/api/hackathons/${id}`,
+      {
+        headers: {
+          'Cache-Control': 'no-store',
+        },
+      }
+    );
+
+    const hackathon = res.data || null;
     
     if (!hackathon) {
       return createOGResponse({
@@ -24,13 +135,46 @@ export async function GET(
       });
     }
 
+    // Try to load images in fallback order
+    if (hackathon.banner && hackathon.banner.trim() !== '') {
+      // Fallback 1: Try banner with -og suffix
+      const ogBannerUrl = generateOGBannerUrl(hackathon.banner);
+      const ogImage = await tryLoadImage(ogBannerUrl, hackathon.title, fonts);
+      if (ogImage) {
+        return ogImage;
+      }
+
+      // Fallback 2: Try small_banner if available
+      if (hackathon.small_banner && hackathon.small_banner.trim() !== '') {
+        const smallBannerImage = await tryLoadImage(hackathon.small_banner, hackathon.title, fonts);
+        if (smallBannerImage) {
+          return smallBannerImage;
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Fallback 3: Try original banner
+      const bannerImage = await tryLoadImage(hackathon.banner, hackathon.title, fonts);
+      if (bannerImage) {
+        return bannerImage;
+      }
+    } else if (hackathon.small_banner && hackathon.small_banner.trim() !== '') {
+      // If no banner but has small_banner, try it
+      const smallBannerImage = await tryLoadImage(hackathon.small_banner, hackathon.title, fonts);
+      if (smallBannerImage) {
+        return smallBannerImage;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // If no banner, show title and description
     return createOGResponse({
       title: hackathon.title,
       description: hackathon.description,
       path: 'hackathons',
       fonts
     });
-  } catch (error) {
+
+  } catch (error: any) {
+    console.error('Error fetching hackathon:', error.message || error);
     return createOGResponse({
       title: 'Hackathons',
       description: 'Join exciting blockchain hackathons and build the future on Avalanche',
@@ -38,4 +182,4 @@ export async function GET(
       fonts
     });
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}