Game Engines
Ongoing coverage on Game Engines.
Latest coverage
Major Update Expands Character Expression with Support for "Live2D®" Animated Illustrations!
SmileBoom Co.Ltd. has released version 2.5 for RPG Developer Bakin, introducing support for Live2D animated illustrations to enhance character expression. This update also includes shader management tools, mouse cursor customization, and a new beginner tutorial. Alongside the update, a "SmileBoom Early Summer Sale 2026" is offering RPG Developer Bakin and its DLCs at discounted prices, with the game itself available at a 30% discount.
Roadmaps and Plans
Rockstar Games is adding a new heist to Grand Theft Auto Online in July. Separately, a new idea for Unreal Engine 6 suggests that Fortnite skins could be usable across other Unreal Engine games and vice versa.
Quoteworthy
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney stated that Unreal Engine has the potential to disrupt the gaming landscape dominated by platforms like Roblox. He believes Unreal Engine offers a more robust and versatile solution for game development.
Evening Patches
Several games have received new updates, including Brawlhalla with its new Legend Aurus and Battle Pass Classic 8, Pale Coins version 1.1.3, and UnderMine 2's Lunar Magic Update. Unreal Engine 5.8 is also mentioned in relation to these patches.
Epic Games Gives Us An Exciting First Look At Unreal Engine 6
Epic Games provided an early look at Unreal Engine 6, with Marcus Wassmer detailing its aim to unify Unreal Engine 5 and the Unreal Editor for Fortnite into a single platform. The engine will feature improved rendering, reduced cook times, tighter iteration loops, and a new framework based on the Verse programming language, promising to enable a new generation of collaborative game development.
'[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
Epic Games is merging Unreal Engine 5 and Unreal Engine for Fortnite into a single package, Unreal Engine 6, set for an early access release in late 2027. This unification aims to simplify game development and cross-platform deployment, with Rocket League serving as the initial showcase. The new engine will also feature Verse as its primary scripting language and integrate AI tools for development tasks.
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.
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.
The VFX tech behind Saros: from NGP to Graphite
Housemarque details the evolution of their visual effects technology, from the NGP particle engine used in Returnal to the unified Graphite framework powering Saros. The article highlights advancements in volumetric fog rendering, GPU simulation, and Houdini integration for creating dynamic and reactive in-game environments on PlayStation 5.
League of Legends won't follow TFT to Unreal Engine, but it is changing its client
Riot Games has confirmed that League of Legends will not be transitioning to Unreal Engine, unlike its sister title Teamfight Tactics. Instead, the studio plans to further invest in its custom Hextech Engine, which will also encompass the game's client as part of the 'League Next' initiative. This overhaul aims to create a more seamless experience and address long-standing client challenges, with further details expected after MSI and at Worlds 2026.
Rayman Legends Retold interview: developer on origins, engine, new content, Kung Foot’s big return, and more
Ubisoft Milan production director Alessandro Arndt Mucchi and realization/animation director Marco Renso discuss Rayman Legends Retold, a 3D remake of the 2013 game. The remake features a graphical overhaul, new content including dragon rides and musical stages, and an evolved version of Kung Foot. The project began in late 2023, with development starting in early 2024, and aims to set a new starting point for the Rayman franchise. The game is targeting 60 FPS on Nintendo Switch and will utilize both the Snowdrop engine and the UbiArt Framework.
What engine is Star Fox 2026 running on?
Velan Studios is developing the Star Fox 64 remake, titled Star Fox 2026, for the Nintendo Switch 2 using their proprietary Viper Engine. This in-house engine is designed to enhance graphical fidelity, render cutscenes in real-time, and maintain a consistent 60FPS gameplay experience.
Building XBOX Games with Godot: A New Sample to Get You Started Faster
Microsoft has released a new public, source-only sample on GitHub for building Xbox games using the Godot engine. This sample integrates the Microsoft GDK, Xbox Services, and PlayFab, allowing developers to build titles for Xbox on PC directly within Godot. The initiative aims to lower the barrier for developers using Godot to bring their games to the Xbox platform.
2026 - Drift Stage - 0.5.0.4, Current Status: – Priority Update; Return to Active Development.
Drift Stage has received a priority update to version 0.5.0.4, migrating its codebase from Unity 2016 to Unity 2021 to address a critical security vulnerability and improve compatibility with modern hardware and operating systems. This foundational update, while containing some bugs and incomplete features, is a crucial step in resuming active development and was prepared for demonstration at INDIE Games Fest. Future updates will focus on bug fixing, restoring features, and reintroducing Mac and Linux support.
PlayerUnknown announces studio restructure, says he has "reached the limits" of how far he can fund its current iteration
Brandon 'PlayerUnknown' Greene announced a significant restructure for his studio, PlayerUnknown Productions, due to financial limitations. While the development of the ambitious Melba engine will continue with a reduced team, the future of the survival game Prologue: Go Wayback and its developers is uncertain. Greene cited reaching the limits of his ability to fund the studio in its current form as the reason for the downsizing.
Rayman Legends Untold aiming for 60fps on Switch 2 and should feature ray-tracing
Ubisoft Montpellier is targeting 60fps and ray-tracing for Rayman Legends Untold on the Nintendo Switch 2, aiming for parity with the Xbox Series S version through techniques like DLSS. Technical advisor Fabien Delpiano stated that the team is pushing the Snow Drop engine to achieve 60fps across all platforms, including high-end PCs and the PlayStation 5, by optimizing resolution and utilizing DLSS.
In 1997, Warren Spector told us the upcoming PC classic Deus Ex was inspired by Final Fantasy, Miyamoto, and 'the…
A 1997 interview with legendary game designer Warren Spector reveals his early inspirations for the upcoming PC classic Deus Ex, including Final Fantasy VII and Shigeru Miyamoto's work. Spector discussed his move to Ion Storm and his vision for a first-person RPG that blended console accessibility with deep simulation, initially planning to use the Quake II engine before ultimately opting for Unreal.
Rayman Leaks Just Won't Stop, Xbox Outs 4K Edition of Origins
Ubisoft is reportedly working on a 4K, 60fps remaster of Rayman Origins, subtitled Enhanced Edition, which briefly appeared on the Xbox Store. The original game, released in 2012, utilized the UbiArt engine and received a 9/10 score. This remaster is expected to be announced alongside a remake of Rayman Legends.
The Hidden Long-Term Costs of Choosing the Wrong Game Engine
Choosing the right game engine is a critical long-term business decision with significant cost implications throughout a game's lifecycle, not just a technical one. Proprietary and niche engines often lead to higher costs in talent acquisition, platform compatibility, and post-launch support compared to widely adopted commercial engines like Unreal Engine, which benefit from larger talent pools and established tooling.
Epic Games unveils Unreal Engine 6 in new Rocket League teaser
Epic Games has released a teaser for Rocket League showcasing its transition to Unreal Engine 6. The brief video, which also flashed the Unreal Engine logo with a six, hinted at a "new era, new engine" without providing further details on release dates or features. Psyonix, the developer, has not yet offered specifics about the new engine.
