‘[It] is going to change a lot about how games are made’: Epic merges Unreal Engine 5 with Unreal Engine for Fortnite to give game devs around the world Unreal Engine 6

At the recent State of Unreal event held in Chicago, Epic Games unveiled exciting developments surrounding Unreal Engine 6, marking a significant evolution since the launch of Unreal Engine 5 six years ago. The insights shared during the event, along with a detailed blog post, reveal that the new engine will draw heavily from the successes of Fortnite and its user-friendly counterpart, UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite).

Innovative Features on the Horizon

For those unfamiliar, UEFN is a streamlined version of Unreal Engine 5, designed to empower users—regardless of their technical background—to create intricate levels and games for Fortnite. This accessibility has led to a surge in popularity; even individuals with no prior game development experience can craft fully functional maps in a matter of hours.

One of the most notable advancements in Unreal Engine 6 is the transition toward open standards for tools, code, and APIs. While this shift won’t happen overnight and may not encompass every element, the overarching goal is to simplify the development process for creators across various industries, allowing for smoother integration with both Epic’s ecosystem and external platforms.

During the keynote, specific features were not disclosed, leaving many questions unanswered, particularly regarding potential enhancements to Lumen, the engine’s lighting system. However, the anticipated release timeframe for Unreal Engine 6 is set for 2027, with an early access version expected by the end of that year.

Advancements in Scripting and Gameplay

Another significant update involves Verse, the scripting language utilized in UEFN, which will play a central role in the gameplay programming model of Unreal Engine 6. While C++ will remain foundational, the introduction of Scene Graph aims to replace the existing gameplay framework, allowing developers to write game code as if it were operating on a single machine, thus eliminating the need for complex networking coordination.

Moreover, artificial intelligence is poised to become a more integral component of Unreal Engine. The recent UE5.8 release introduced the MCP server plugin, enabling developers to deploy any large language model (LLM) for tasks ranging from code refactoring to generating complete 3D scenes, which can then be customized as needed.

While the transition from Unreal Engine 5 to 6 may not mirror the dramatic leap from version 4 to 5, it promises to enhance usability and efficiency for developers. As Epic Games continues to refine its offerings, the gaming community eagerly anticipates how these innovations will shape the future of interactive entertainment.