Epic Games
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Epic Games details how it's embracing generative AI in Unreal Engine
Epic Games is integrating generative AI into future versions of Unreal Engine. This move signifies a significant embrace of AI technologies within the game development engine.
'It feels to many like a tidal wave is sweeping over the AAA game business,' says Epic CEO Tim Sweeney in his…
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney described the current AAA game business as facing a "tidal wave" due to escalating development costs and a high failure rate for major releases. He contrasted this with the success of platforms like Roblox and proposed Epic's vision of a connected metaverse ecosystem built on Unreal Engine as a more developer-friendly alternative.
Vampire Survivors Dev 'Reviewing' Fortnite Collaboration Due to Epic's Use of Generative AI
Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is reviewing its collaboration with Epic Games for Fortnite content due to Epic's public embrace of generative AI in its development workflow. Poncle expressed concern over the use of AI for creating game assets, including potential Fortnite characters based on Vampire Survivors IP. The studio will provide updates on the partnership's future.
Unreal Engine 6 will merge UE5 and UEFN into 'a single, unified engine'
Epic Games announced significant changes for Unreal Engine 6, including the integration of Unreal Engine for Fortnite into a single, unified engine. The update will shift from C++ to the Verse programming language, incorporate AI tools for models like Claude and Gemini, and aims to make content and code more interoperable across games and ecosystems. Early Access for Unreal Engine 6 is slated for late 2027.
Vampire Survivors developer 'reviewing' Fortnite collaboration in wake of Epic's gen AI stance
Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is reviewing its collaboration with Fortnite due to Epic Games' stance on generative AI. Following Epic's State of Unreal showcase, which highlighted the use of AI in Unreal Engine and Fortnite asset creation, Poncle announced on Discord that they are reconsidering the partnership. The studio has previously expressed disinterest in using generative AI for game development.
Fortnite Will Let You Make The Simpsons Games, And You Can Bet Someone Will Make Hit & Run
Epic Games and Disney are enabling Fortnite players to create their own games based on The Simpsons using the UEFN program, featuring officially licensed characters and settings. This initiative follows a successful Star Wars IP toolkit and a popular Fortnite x The Simpsons crossover event. Players are expected to leverage these tools to recreate games like The Simpsons: Hit & Run, with Disney expressing excitement for the creative possibilities.
Epic sees 'central role' for gen AI models like Claude & Codex in Unreal Engine 6
Epic Games has revealed that generative AI models like Claude and Codex will play a central role in Unreal Engine 6, aiming to reduce tedious tasks in game development. The engine will integrate these AI tools to speed up content creation, including level design, character rigging, and particle systems, while also improving the Epic Developer Assistant. Unreal Engine 6 is not expected to enter Early Access until 2027 at the earliest.
You’ll Be Able To Use Your Fortnite Skins In Other Games, Eventually
Epic Games announced that Unreal Engine 6 will enable Fortnite skins to be used in other UE6 games, and vice versa, as part of its metaverse initiative. This aims to create a shared economy for smart assets that function across different titles. An early access version of Unreal Engine 6 is planned for late 2027.
Unreal Engine 5.8 launches with improved terrain and vegetation tools, a Lumen Lite option for faster global illumination, and for the times we now live in, an open standard plugin for LLM systems
Unreal Engine 5.8 has been released, introducing experimental features like Mesh Terrain and Procedural Vegetation Editor, alongside a production-ready MegaLights system and a faster Lumen Lite option for global illumination. The update also includes an experimental plugin for Large Language Models (LLMs), allowing for AI integration in asset creation and development tasks. Epic Games highlights that Lumen Lite is optimized for platforms like the Nintendo Switch, potentially enabling 60fps performance.
Unreal Engine 6 has a novel idea: you using your Fortnite skins in other Unreal games and vice versa
Epic Games is exploring a shared economy for Unreal Engine 6, allowing players to use Fortnite skins in other Unreal Engine games and vice versa. Development team lead Marcus Wassmer detailed this initiative, aiming to create portable player value and foster ecosystem growth. While Unreal Engine 6 is still in early development with an estimated early access in late 2027, it will also feature enhanced multiplayer support and cross-platform capabilities.
Perfect Ten: The 10 most rage-inducing (but fixable) MMORPG industry problems
This opinion piece outlines ten common and fixable problems within the MMORPG industry, ranging from the over-sexualization of characters and misleading 'pay-to-win' discussions to poor website and communication practices. It also criticizes trend-chasing studio creation, premature announcements, historical inaccuracies in marketing, and the continued lack of essential features like group finders.
AI Yi-Yi!
NVIDIA is expanding its Texas facility to scale AI's optical backbone, while Epic Games has released a video addressing the company's use of AI in its art pipeline. The article touches on the growing integration of AI within the gaming industry.
Sonic x Fortnite is coming this year
Epic Games has officially confirmed a crossover event between Fortnite and Sonic the Hedgehog, also referencing Sonic Racing CrossWorlds. The announcement was made at Unreal Fest Chicago 2026, though specific details about the collaboration remain scarce.
Lumen Lite mode available for Nintendo Switch 2 development in Unreal Engine
Epic Games has released Unreal Engine 5.8, introducing a new Lumen Lite mode for improved global illumination in Nintendo Switch 2 game development. This update aims to enable developers to utilize advanced lighting techniques on the platform with lower performance requirements.
Unreal Engine's big new idea is letting gen-AI LLMs plug directly into it and talk to it
Epic Games has introduced a new tool for Unreal Engine 5.8 that allows generative AI large language models to directly integrate with and control the engine via text prompts. This tool, called the Unreal MCP plugin, was demonstrated by Michael Lentine and is available now for developers, significantly reducing the time needed for asset creation and iteration.
Out of Words is a Stop-Motion Masterpiece for Everyone
Out of Words is a handcrafted, two-player co-op stop-motion platformer developed by WiredFly & Kong Orange and published by Epic Games Publishing. Directed by Johan Oettinger, the game features unique physics-defying puzzles and a narrative about two young people navigating their relationship, with a poet, Morten Søndergaard, contributing to the development. The game is set to release on Xbox Series X|S in 2027 and is designed to be accessible to non-gamers.
Unreal Engine 5.8 out today, Lumen Light confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2
Epic Games has released Unreal Engine 5.8, featuring a new Lumen Light mode optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2. This mode, which uses irradiance fields with probe occlusion, is twice as fast as the previous Lumen High Quality and allows games relying on global illumination to run at 60 FPS on the console. This advancement aims to improve the performance of Unreal Engine 5 titles on Nintendo's upcoming handheld.
AI Yi-Yi!
Epic Games has sparked debate among Unreal Engine users regarding the use of AI for concept art, while NVIDIA and HPE are expanding their AI factories for agent-based systems. The article touches upon the increasing prevalence and potential impact of AI models in various industries.
Fortnite's Gummy Power Hour is getting doubled because some Sprites are just so hard to find
Epic Games is doubling the duration of Fortnite's Gummy Power Hour event this Saturday to help players find the rare Gummy Zero Point Sprite. This in-game event aims to increase the drop rate of Gummy Sprites, which are equippable items that grant passive abilities and are currently extremely difficult to obtain.
Fortnite is using AI to help make skins and then charging up to £15 for them
Epic Games is facing backlash from Fortnite players for its use of generative AI in the creation of in-game skins, which are then sold for up to £15. While Epic Games states that creative control remains with human artists, fans are concerned about the implications of AI in game development and its potential impact on artists, especially following recent layoffs at the company.
