Epic Games
Epic Games business and news from across the web.
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End of Abyss: I’m the Little Nightmare, and You’re Locked in Here With Me
End of Abyss is an upcoming atmospheric top-down twin-stick shooter Metroidvania from Section 9 Interactive, set to release on Xbox Series X|S on October 1, 2026. Developed by former Tarsier Studios leads, the game features a young combat technician exploring a dark, industrial underground complex filled with mutants, combining Metroidvania exploration with expressive twin-stick combat and crafting.
Rockstar's legal setback, Final Fantasy tax incentives, and PlayStation swaps 'PC' for 'AI' - Patch Notes #57
This week's gaming news includes Rockstar Games facing a trial date for union busting allegations, Sony Interactive Entertainment shifting its business strategy focus from 'PC' to 'AI' in SEC filings, and Microsoft's Xbox division reportedly preparing for studio closures. Additionally, Don't Nod is seeking new financing after Tencent withdrew short-term investment, Shibuya ward is offering Final Fantasy 14 in-game items for tax donations, and Epic Games is merging Unreal Engine 5 and UEFN into a unified Unreal Engine 6. The UK government is also set to implement a ban on social media for under 16s, impacting high-risk features in games.
Unreal Engine 6 Expands Multiverse, Enables Fortnite Skin Transfers Across Games, Epic Announces
Epic Games has announced Unreal Engine 6, set for Early Access in late 2027 and full release by 2028-2029. This major update introduces cross-game cosmetic interoperability, starting with Fortnite, allowing players to transfer digital items between different games. The engine also integrates AI tools and Verse, a programming language for online worlds, aiming to foster a unified gaming experience and honor player investments.
Epic Games doubles down on Unreal Engine AI integration, as Fortnite tools jeopardize Vampire Survivors collab
Epic Games is significantly integrating Artificial Intelligence into Unreal Engine, aiming to streamline content creation and boost iteration for developers. This push towards generative AI and LLMs has led to concerns, notably from Vampire Survivors developer Poncle, who is reviewing their collaboration with Fortnite due to Epic's extensive use of AI in asset creation.
Vampire Survivors devs are rethinking their Fortnite collab
The developers of Vampire Survivors, Poncle, are reconsidering their collaboration with Fortnite due to Epic Games' increasing integration of generative AI tools. Despite Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney's past comments on AI tags, the company is now promoting generative AI for game asset creation within Unreal Engine. Poncle has publicly stated they are reviewing the partnership, indicating a potential halt if Epic Games continues down this path.
Evening Reading - June 18, 2026
Shacknews' Evening Reading for June 18, 2026, highlights that Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders will begin on June 25th with the cover art revealed. The article also touches on reviews for The Adventures of Elliot and UFC 6, new Pokémon content, Apple's price increases, Epic Games' use of AI in Unreal Engine, and various other internet curiosities including custom game art and mods.
Epic Games Store Roadmap
Epic Games has outlined its roadmap for the Epic Games Store over the next 12 months, detailing planned feature updates. The information was shared via slides from a presentation captured and posted on Reddit.
Game and Mod Development
Epic Games announced Unreal Engine 6 and Unreal Engine 5.8 at State of Unreal 2026, alongside a $1 billion payout to developers using Unreal Editor for Fortnite. The event highlighted advancements in game development tools and creator economies.
Gears of War: E-Day Technical Director Explains How Unreal Engine 5’s Tech Helped in Development
The Coalition's technical director Kate Rayner detailed how Unreal Engine 5's features, such as MegaLights and dynamic geometry, were crucial in rebuilding Gears of War: E-Day from scratch. The game, developed for PC and Xbox Series X/S, aims to accurately portray the chaos of Emergence Day with enhanced lighting and destructible environments, running at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X.
Epic's plans for their big store revamp over the next year sound like they'll at long last meet the bare minimum
Epic Games has revealed plans for significant improvements to the Epic Games Store over the next year, addressing long-standing criticisms about its lack of basic features. Upcoming additions include patch notes, improved navigation, user reviews, and personalized homepages. The company also mentioned generative AI integration in Unreal Engine 6, though this was met with skepticism.
Unreal Engine 5.8 Rendering Could Enhance Switch 2 Games - NintendoFuse
Epic Games has released Unreal Engine 5.8, introducing features like Mesh Terrain and Lumen Lite global illumination, which could significantly improve performance for Nintendo Switch 2 games. This update is particularly beneficial for titles utilizing UE5, potentially enhancing visual quality and frame rates on the upcoming console. Epic Games is now shifting focus to Unreal Engine 6.
Vampire Survivors dev may nix Fortnite collab in light of Epic’s ‘central role’ stance on AI in game dev
The developer of Vampire Survivors is considering canceling a potential collaboration with Fortnite due to Epic Games' stance on the central role of AI in game development. This decision stems from disagreements over Epic's policies regarding artificial intelligence integration in the industry.
After Epic outline a genAI focused Unreal Engine 6, Vampire Survivors studio Poncle say they're "reviewing" their Fortnite collab
Following Epic Games' announcement of generative AI integration in Unreal Engine 6, Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is reviewing its collaboration with Fortnite. Poncle expressed concern over Epic's plans to use AI for asset creation, including Fortnite characters, and is assessing if their upcoming Fortnite collaboration will proceed. The studio aims to ensure no assets involved in the collaboration were created using generative AI.
Morning Consolidation
Rockstar Games has revealed the pre-order date and cover art for Grand Theft Auto VI. Separately, Epic Games has introduced a significant update to Unreal Engine 5, claiming it runs twice as fast on the Nintendo Switch 2. The article also briefly mentions the game Once Human.
"One view of the future is that Roblox grows and eats gaming" - Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney delivers impassioned speech about the future of gaming
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney delivered a speech at the State of Unreal event, expressing concern over the rising costs and failing audiences in the AAA game business. He highlighted the growing importance of social gaming experiences and user-generated content platforms like Roblox, suggesting they represent a significant shift in the industry's future. Sweeney also discussed Epic's vision for a connected ecosystem powered by Unreal Engine, despite the company itself facing layoffs.
My quick test of Lumen Lite shows that it's probably good news for ray-traced gaming on handheld PCs, but I suspect that it will be used everywhere because of the pressure developers are now under
Epic Games has introduced Lumen Lite in Unreal Engine 5.8, a scalable ray-traced global illumination feature designed to improve performance on hardware like the Nintendo Switch 2 and PC handhelds. While the feature offers significant performance gains with minimal visual compromise, the author expresses concern that its ease of use might lead developers to rely on it as a quick fix rather than implementing more thorough, hardware-specific optimizations.
'Density Over Scale': Open World Cyberpunk Shooter No Law Has Serious Potential on PS5
Developer Neon Giant discussed their design philosophy for the upcoming open-world cyberpunk shooter No Law at Unreal Fest 2026, emphasizing density and reactivity over sheer map size. The game, announced for PlayStation 5, will utilize Unreal Engine 5 and feature a dynamic lighting and weather system with over 3,000 NPCs. Neon Giant previously developed the detailed isometric shooter The Ascent.
Vampire Survivors dev 'reviewing' Fortnite collab after Epic's AI announcement
Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is reconsidering its collaboration with Epic Games for Fortnite items following Epic's announcement of AI-powered features for Unreal Engine. Poncle expressed concerns on Reddit about Epic's use of generative AI in game asset creation, stating they are reviewing the partnership and will provide updates. This move comes amid growing developer apprehension towards AI in the industry.
Palworld Dev On AI: “Gamers Don’t Want It”
John Buckley, communications lead for Palworld developer Pocketpair, stated that gamers do not want AI in game development and that his studio has no plans to use it. He expressed skepticism about the longevity of the AI trend and questioned the value of replacing human artists with AI. The article also touches on Steam's AI disclosure policy and differing developer opinions on AI's impact.
Epic Games shows how gen AI messes up Fortnite’s art — and uses it anyway
Epic Games has demonstrated its use of generative AI in creating Fortnite assets, despite requiring significant manual correction of errors. This approach has drawn criticism from fans and led to developer Poncle reconsidering a collaboration with Epic due to concerns over AI usage.