Why use unreal engine

Check out the Marketplace Support Site and Marketplace Guidelines for more information on obtaining and distributing products through the Unreal Engine Marketplace. What happens when I send feedback to Epic? Unreal Engine 5 UE5.

When will Unreal Engine 5 be available? We hope to ship Unreal Engine 5 in early For more information, check out the Unreal Engine 5 Early Access product page.

Will the licensing model change for UE5? Everyone will be able to download and use Unreal Engine for free, as always. What platforms does UE5 Early Access support? We are continuing to develop tools and workflows that enable you to simplify high-poly geometry imported for Nanite to use on other platforms. At the time of releasing Unreal Engine 4. Is UE5 Early Access for me? UE5 Early Access provides you the first chance to get your hands on some of the exciting new features for next-generation game development.

However, this is not a production-ready version, which is why we recommend only using it for testing new features, exploring the new capabilities, and prototyping your future next-gen games. We continue to work to make Unreal Engine 5 the tool for creators across all industries to deliver stunning real-time content and experiences. While this Early Access build has only been tested on game development workflows, more features and improvements for all industries will be coming with the full Unreal Engine 5.

Epic MegaGrants. What are Epic MegaGrants? What can I do with my grant money? Whatever will make your project successful. If your planned use of the funds changes over the course of your project, that is perfectly fine. When do I get my grant money? For larger grants, funds will typically be paid out over several installments, depending on the size of the grant and complexity of your project. With some large and complex projects, Epic may procure services for your use as part of the grant, if doing so would be efficient in bringing your project to fruition.

The MegaGrant may have tax implications for you. We recommend you check with a tax professional familiar with your local tax laws to understand the tax implications to you. Do I have to pay the money back at a later date? Absolutely not. We will never ask you to pay back any money that Epic has paid you under Epic MegaGrants. This is not an investment on Epic's part, nor is it a loan. This is our way to give back to the incredible community and reward excellence.

Why would Epic do this? Simply put, we succeed when you succeed. Epic wants to help you focus more on creation and worry less about keeping the lights on. Who and what are we looking for? A link to a video of your working prototype would be ideal. For complex projects, we are looking for more detailed project plans and prototypes. Education : Research, educational curricula and course development, student projects, and university programs using or related to Unreal Engine are all eligible.

Any other Unreal Engine projects undertaken by students or educators are also eligible to apply. Please note that for institutions, we only accept submissions from degree-granting schools and educators at such schools. Tools and open-source development : You can submit an application for a new tool, plans to port existing tools to UE4, or create tools that integrate existing software with Unreal Engine.

You can also submit a new open-source tool including tools that provide interoperability or any enhancement for existing open-source projects related to 3D graphics. For new tools, we would like to see a detailed plan or, if available, a prototype.

Is my non-Unreal-Engine project eligible? If your project is built in another engine or toolset and you want to move it to Unreal Engine, you are eligible to apply for an Epic MegaGrant. If you want to develop a project that enhances open-source 3D content creation, whether or not it integrates with or relates to Unreal Engine, you are also eligible.

I'm in. What's next? Submit your application via the form on the Epic MegaGrants page and tell us about your project. Send us videos, links, and any other info you think will help us see why your project is awesome. How is my project going to be evaluated? We evaluate each project based on quality and unique appeal, by how much it will benefit the Unreal Engine and 3D graphics community and ecosystem, and whether we think the work is viable.

Is there a deadline for submission? The deadline for submission is directly dependent on the funds remaining in the program. At this point, there is no deadline. Is this limited to developers in the United States? If we can legally make payment to you, you are eligible. The grant is considered income to you, which is likely subject to tax based on where the activity is performed.

Can I apply for more than one project? Can I apply more than once for the same project? Does it have to be a game? Anything in or relating to Unreal Engine is eligible.

There are many ways to build something incredible in or around the Unreal Engine and 3D graphics universe. For example, 3D digital creation tools, and learning materials about Unreal Engine such as books, lesson plans, and videos are examples of eligible projects. Do I have to be a business to receive a grant? Individuals are eligible and encouraged to apply. Will single developers and small teams be treated differently than large studios or businesses?

We strive for fairness and treat every project equally, regardless of who you are. When will I hear back from Epic? What can I expect? You can expect to hear from us within 90 days of submitting your application. Releasing products. What kinds of products can I release with Unreal Engine? What do I need to do when releasing a game or other off-the-shelf interactive product? You must notify Epic when you begin collecting revenue or ship your product; see our Release page for more details.

If I release a commercial game or other interactive off-the-shelf product, what royalties are due to Epic, and when? How has the royalty agreement changed since May 13, ? Epic Games is actively reviewing all royalties paid for Q1 of , and will reach out to you directly if you are due a refund. You do not need to take any action.

Do I need to report revenue forever? If your game or other interactive off-the-shelf product is no longer being sold, no revenue reports are due.

Can you walk me through a few example royalty payment scenarios? If you have already paid royalties on this quarter, Epic will reach out to you and return them.

Yes, it applies to both Unreal Engine 4 and, when released, Unreal Engine 5, effective as of January 1, It is applicable per title. What about downloadable content, in-app purchases, microtransactions, virtual currency redemption, and subscription fees, as well as in-app advertising and affiliate program revenue?

Revenue from these sources is included in the gross revenue calculation above. What if my project requires custom licensing terms? Can I ship a game that supports mods using the Unreal Editor or source? What if my product is released through a publisher or distributor? What if my project wins cash awards? You do not have to pay royalties on award winnings. What if my product obtains crowdfunding via Kickstarter or another source?

Are any revenue sources royalty-free? The following revenue sources are royalty-free: Ancillary products, including t-shirts, CDs, plushies, action figures, and books. The exception is items with embedded data or information, such as QR codes, that affect the operation of the product. Consulting, work-for-hire services, and in-house projects using Unreal Engine.

This applies to using the engine to create architectural, automotive, or other visualizations, as well as consultants receiving a development fee for creating custom projects.

Non-interactive linear media, including movies, television shows, animated films, and cartoons distributed as video. Amusement park rides and live installations.

Truly free games and apps with no associated revenue. Location-based experiences, such as interactive amusement park rides, coin-op arcades, or VR experiences.

Source code. What modifications can I make to the source code? Can I share Unreal Engine source code or tools with others? Can I copy and paste Unreal Engine code into my own project or engine? Can I study and learn from Unreal Engine code, and then utilize that knowledge in writing my own game or competing engine?

Code is copyrighted, but knowledge is free! Can I share code snippets online? We can even arrange custom on-site training and support. Whatever gets you across the finish line. Key features. Easy data import Blueprints Real-time collaboration Multi-platform deployment. Slide 1 of 4. Image courtesy of Rewind. And with access to Python scripting, you can fully automate your data preparation tasks. Use Blueprints to build object behaviors and interactions, modify user interfaces, adjust input controls, and so much more.

You can even visualize gameplay flow and inspect properties while testing your work using the powerful built-in debugger. Build and review your design alone, or with others, at human scale. With support for multi-user VR collaboration, participants can grab and manipulate objects from anywhere in the world, helping everyone make design changes in context. Pixel Streaming can remotely deliver high-performance interactivity on any device with a web browser, while the nDisplay system enables you to render real-time content at any resolution, then display it on multiple LED or projection screens.

See all features. Epic stories. Image courtesy of Evil Eye Pictures. Case Study. Holographic computing will transform industries from retail to engineering. We take a look at how we can now achieve the highest-quality visuals yet seen in mixed reality with a deep dive into the groundbreaking Apollo 11 HoloLens 2 project.

Image courtesy of DBLG. You'll need to report your earnings to Epic every quarter using this online form. The system is flexible, though -- you can choose to pay an upfront fee for a custom licence , an option that can lower or even remove royalties altogether.

To learn more about custom licences, you'll need to contact Epic directly. With more than 7. UE4's flexibility is one of the core reasons for its popularity -- whatever the project, it can handle the task. They've published side-scrollers, added examples for everything from racing games to action-RPGs They've even made effort for 2D games, but I don't think this has been used as extensively as other competing engines. While UE4 fits most projects, it should be love at first sight if you're working on a shooter -- the toolset and codebase are geared towards that kind of experience.

David Mervik, senior narrative designer at Little Nightmares developer Tarsier Studios, adds arena shooters and battle royale games to the mix, saying that "while technically it is possible to create any game with Unreal, it excels at making games that are similar to anything Epic Games has published.

The code can be downloaded from GitHub , you can tweak it, and you don't have to pay for it. By comparison, Unity only gives Pro and Enterprise customers access to its source code -- and that comes at a price. Pierre de Margerie, CEO of Absolver developer Sloclap Games, says that's the reason his studio chose Unreal: "The ability to have access to the source code of the engine and modify it to our needs was the primary motivation.

Matt Robinson, technical director at We Happy Few studio Compulsion Games, adds that being able to make modifications deep in the engine code can be crucial: "This is especially important in the last few months in development as we can fix engine issues ourselves when it's critical.

Compulsion Games' Robinson adds: "Unreal provides a set of tools that would be too expensive for us to try and build ourselves, and as a small studio -- especially at the time [of We Happy Few] -- it wasn't worth it to try and build our own engine.

We would much rather spend that time on the creative part of the game. In addition to being flexible and free, UE4 makes rapid iteration easy, which is useful when starting a new project. That's the very reason why Moss developer Polyarc chose the engine. The two-person indie studio Kaizen Game Works, currently working on Paradise Killer, adds that this ease of prototyping and iterating is valuable when you need to handle a lot of assets.

It allows you to try more ideas and quickly understand what can and can't be done. Because we're a small team, we need our game to look good immediately, so you just load up a scene in UE4 and put a light in and it already looks good.

UE4's visual scripting system, Blueprint, is the main reason the engine is a great tool for prototyping and iteration. In Blueprint, you drag-and-drop nodes and add wires to connect them and add logic. This node-based interface allows designers who don't have a technical background to explore their ideas without needing to know how to code.

Craig Wright, technical director at Sumo Digital, adds that Blueprint empowers non-programmers to such an extent that it creates situations where "roles are reversed, and designers and artists become the champions for new engine features. As demonstrated by its standing as a mainstay of AAA development, Unreal scales well to larger teams and games with a lot of content. According to Kaizen technical director Philip Crabtree, it may be the market-leading engine in this respect.

It's got a lot of tools out of the box, so if you want to do things like level streaming you can pretty much just do that. Not only can UE4 handle bigger games, its rendering features make it adept at scaling them across different platforms. Polyarc's Stiksma says Unreal's scaling based on platform is especially valuable when working in VR, as you have to take comfort in consideration. That made it relatively quick for us to scale and actually hit the framerate targets that we needed to, because otherwise we're hitting hitches that are absolutely unacceptable for VR.

Unreal's ease of use is also supported by a wide range of features and tools, within an intuitive editor that is accessible to many disciplines. Tarsier's Mervik is full of praise for the editor, which allows "a large part of the team to extend systems and create gameplay that otherwise would not be possible. Dontnod's Banal is similarly enthusiastic about UE4's range of tools: "It provides solutions for pretty much every macro task you'll have to address: scene layout including landscape and foliage, cinematics, visual scripting, particle system, animation network, materials creation, lightmapping, asset management, level of details, physics, basic bricks of AI, performance and memory tracking tools for optimisation.

One advantage UE4 shares with Unity is how easy it is to recruit proficient staff and collaborate with studios who also use the engine.

And that's true regardless of the experience of the recruit, with young developers often being proficient in Unreal from day one. Sumo's Wright adds that UE4 also allows for more fruitful partnerships between studios, considerably reducing the ramp up time associated with introducing new teams to a project, and allowing "useful work" to be produced much more quickly. Being a widely used engine means your support has to be top-notch, and that seems to be the case with UE4 -- Obsidian's DeGeorge praises Epic's "really great" interaction with its users.

It's worth mentioning that the level of support provided may depend on how you access the engine. A paying UE4 user with a custom license will have the direct attention of Epic's development team, while a free user will likely have to rely on the wealth of tutorial and online resources to find answers.

But the quality should be there regardless, says Sumo Digital technical director Chris Rea, as online resources are another aspect of UE4 that has massively improved over the years. If you're only just beginning your journey in game development, or if you're part of a small team, you'll likely need to download assets to use in your game.