Unreal Engine

{{Infobox software

| name = Unreal Engine

| logo = Unreal Engine Logo (new typeface).svg

| logo caption = Logo of Unreal Engine with a new typeface

| screenshot = Unreal Engine 4 screenshot.png

| caption = Screenshot of Unreal Engine 4.20

| author = Tim Sweeney

| developer = Epic Games

| latest release version = 5.6

| latest preview version =

| programming language = C++

| operating system = Windows, Linux, macOS

| license = Source-available commercial software with royalty model for commercial use{{cite web|access-date=2018-08-26|title=Unreal Engine End User License Agreement|url=https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/eula|website=Unreal Engine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826113400/https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/eula|archive-date=August 26, 2018|url-status=live}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.unrealengine.com/|unrealengine.com}}

}}

Unreal Engine (UE) is a 3D computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter video game Unreal. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of genres of games and has been adopted by other industries, most notably the film and television industry. Unreal Engine is written in C++ and features a high degree of portability, supporting a wide range of desktop, mobiles, console, and virtual reality platforms.

The latest generation, Unreal Engine 5, was launched in April 2023. Its source code is available on GitHub, and commercial use is granted based on a royalty model, with Epic charging 5% of revenues over US $1 million, which is waived for games published exclusively on the Epic Games Store. Epic has incorporated features in the engine from acquired companies such as Quixel, which is seen as benefiting from Fortnite's revenue.

History

{{Video game timeline

| compressempty = yes

| 1998 = Unreal Engine 1

| 2001 = Unreal Engine 2

| 2006 = Unreal Engine 3

| 2014 = Unreal Engine 4

| 2022 = Unreal Engine 5

| TBA = Unreal Engine 6

}}

=First generation=

Unreal Engine 1 was initially developed in 1995 by Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney for Unreal and used software rendering. It supported Windows, Linux, Mac and Unix. Epic later began to license the Engine to other game studios.

= Unreal Engine 2 =

Unreal Engine 2 transitioned the engine from software rendering to hardware rendering and brought support for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube consoles. The first game using UE2 was released in 2002 and its last update was shipped in 2005.

=Unreal Engine 3=

Unreal Engine 3 was one of the first game engines to support multithreading. It used DirectX 9 as its baseline graphics API, simplifying its rendering code. The first games using UE3 were released at the end of 2006.

=Unreal Engine 4=

Unreal Engine 4 brought support for physically based materials and the "Blueprints" visual scripting system. The first game using UE4 was released in April 2014. It was the first version of Unreal to be free to download with royalty payments on game revenue.

=Unreal Engine 5=

Unreal Engine 5 features Nanite, a virtualized geometry system that allows game developers to use arbitrarily high quality meshes with automatically generated Level of Detail, and Lumen, a dynamic global illumination and reflections system that uses software and hardware ray tracing. It was revealed in May 2020 and officially released in April 2022.

=Unreal Engine 6=

Sweeney discussed Unreal Engine 6 on the Lex Fridman podcast in 2025, and indicated that the first preview builds would be available in two to three years. The next version will aim to unify the currently separate development streams used for Fortnite and the broader engine.{{cite web |title=Tim Sweeney Addresses Unreal Engine 6 at Lex Fridman Podcast |url=https://80.lv/articles/epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney-addresses-unreal-engine-6-at-lex-fridman-podcast/ |website=80.lv |language=en |date=1 May 2025}}

Scripting

=UnrealScript=

{{Infobox programming language

| name = UnrealScript

| paradigm = Object-oriented, generic

| released = {{Start date and age|May 1998}}

| developer = Tim Sweeney

| typing = Static, strong, safe

| influenced by = C++, Java

| operating system = Cross-platform (multi-platform)

| website = [https://docs.unrealengine.com/udk/Three/UnrealScriptHome.html docs.unrealengine.com]

| file ext = .uc .uci .upkg

}}

UnrealScript (often abbreviated to UScript) was Unreal Engine's native scripting language used for authoring game code and gameplay events before the release of Unreal Engine 4. The language was designed for simple, high-level game programming.{{cite web |title=UDK - Design Goals of UnrealScript |url=https://docs.unrealengine.com/udk/Three/UnrealScriptReference.html#Design%20goals%20of%20_UnrealScript |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703145732/http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/UnrealScriptReference.html |archive-date=July 3, 2013 |access-date=June 26, 2013 |website=Unreal Engine Docs |publisher=}} UnrealScript was programmed by Tim Sweeney,{{cite book|url=https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1377834 |title=Introduction to Unreal Technology |date=July 21, 2009 |publisher=InformIT |access-date=February 22, 2022 |last1=Busby |first1=Jason |last2=Parrish |first2=Zak |last3=Wilson |first3=Jeff |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930102826/http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1377834 |archive-date=September 30, 2012 }} who also created an earlier game scripting language, ZZT-OOP.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/23/history-of-the-unreal-engine |title=History of the Unreal Engine |last=Thomsen |first=Mike |date=February 23, 2010 |website=IGN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712132329/http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/23/history-of-the-unreal-engine |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 13, 2017}} Deus Ex lead programmer Chris Norden described it as "super flexible" but noted its low execution speed.{{Cite web |last=Lightbown |first=David |date=October 23, 2018 |title=Classic Tools Retrospective: The tools that built Deus Ex, with Chris Norden |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/classic-tools-retrospective-the-tools-that-built-deus-ex-with-chris-norden |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629134018/https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DavidLightbown/20181023/328687/Classic_Tools_Retrospective_The_tools_that_built_Deus_Ex_with_Chris_Norden.php |archive-date=June 29, 2019 |access-date=February 22, 2022 |website=Game Developer}}

Similar to Java, UnrealScript was object-oriented without multiple inheritance (classes all inherit from a common Object class), and classes were defined in individual files named for the class they define. Unlike Java, UnrealScript did not have object wrappers for primitive types. Interfaces were only supported in Unreal Engine generation 3 and a few Unreal Engine 2 games. UnrealScript supported operator overloading, but not method overloading, except for optional parameters.

At the 2012 Game Developers Conference, Epic announced that UnrealScript was being removed from Unreal Engine 4 in favor of C++.{{Cite web |last=Schultz |first=Warren |title=Unreal Engine 4 - First Look |url=http://gameindustry.com/od/trends/a/Unreal-Engine-4-First-Look.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524062935/http://gameindustry.about.com/od/trends/a/Unreal-Engine-4-First-Look.htm |archive-date=May 24, 2012 |access-date=December 29, 2017 |website=About.com}} Visual scripting would be supported by the Blueprints Visual Scripting system, a replacement for the earlier Kismet visual scripting system.{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/epic-s-tim-sweeney-lays-out-the-case-for-unreal-engine-4 |title=Epic's Tim Sweeney lays out the case for Unreal Engine 4 |last=Nutt |first=Christian |date=March 21, 2014 |website=Game Developer |access-date=February 22, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225230/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/213647/Epics_Tim_Sweeney_lays_out_the_case_for_Unreal_Engine_4.php |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}{{Cite news |last=Grayson |first=Nathan |date=July 20, 2012 |title=Fortnite's Jessen Talks Minecraft, PC Gaming, UE4 |website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/07/20/fortnites-jessen-talks-minecraft-pc-gaming-ue4/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501161305/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/07/20/fortnites-jessen-talks-minecraft-pc-gaming-ue4/ |archive-date=May 1, 2018}}

{{blockquote|One of the key moments in Unreal Engine 4's development was, we had a series of debates about UnrealScript – the scripting language I'd built that we'd carried through three generations. And what we needed to do to make it competitive in the future. And we kept going through bigger and bigger feature lists of what we needed to do to upgrade it, and who could possibly do the work, and it was getting really, really unwieldy. And there was this massive meeting to try and sort it out, and try to cut things and decide what to keep, and plan and...there was this point where I looked at that and said 'you know, everything you're proposing to add to UnrealScript is already in C++. Why don't we just kill UnrealScript and move to pure C++? You know, maximum performance and maximum debuggability. It gives us all these advantages.'|Sweeney, Gamasutra, 2017{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/for-tim-sweeney-advancing-epic-means-racing-into-ar-and-vr |title=For Tim Sweeney, advancing Epic means racing into AR and VR |last=Wawro |first=Alex |date=March 1, 2017 |website=Game Developer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720205027/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/292573/For_Tim_Sweeney_advancing_Epic_means_racing_into_AR_and_VR.php |archive-date=July 20, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=February 22, 2022}}}}

=Verse=

Verse is the new scripting language for Unreal Engine, first implemented in Fortnite.{{Cite web |date=March 23, 2023 |title=Dive into Epic's announcements from GDC 2023 |url=https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/dive-into-epic-s-announcements-from-gdc-2023 |access-date=March 23, 2023 |website=Unreal Engine |archive-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323015419/https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/dive-into-epic-s-announcements-from-gdc-2023 |url-status=live }} Simon Peyton Jones, known for his contributions to the Haskell programming language, joined Epic Games in December 2021 as Engineering Fellow to work on Verse with his long-time colleague Lennart Augustsson and others.{{Cite web |last=Peyton Jones |first=Simon |date=November 5, 2021 |title=An Epic future for SPJ |url=https://discourse.haskell.org/t/an-epic-future-for-spj/3573 |access-date=May 4, 2022 |website=Haskell Community Discourse |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520133225/https://discourse.haskell.org/t/an-epic-future-for-spj/3573 |url-status=live }} Conceived by Sweeney,{{Cite web |date=March 25, 2022 |title=Interview with Simon Peyton Jones |url=https://haskell.foundation/podcast/11/ |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=Haskell Foundation |quote=So Tim Sweeney is the founder and CEO of Epic and he is a computer scientist and has been interested in programming for a long time. So he knows about Haskell and loves Haskell actually. So I think that’s why he thought of people like me and Lennart and was keen to have us. But Verse isn’t a Haskell clone by any means. It’s a language that Tim has been designing sort of in his head actually for – I don’t really quite know how long, I should ask him – around a decade. So it’s informed by functional programming and imperative programming and game programming and logic programming. There’s a lot going on in Verse. Lennart’s and my job is to sort of reverse engineer Verse out of tim’s head and get it set down in a kind of formal semantics that everybody else can make make sense of. |archive-date=March 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327002033/https://haskell.foundation/podcast/11/ |url-status=live }} it was officially presented at Haskell eXchange in December 2022 as an open source functional-logic language for the metaverse.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-12 |title=Beyond Functional Programming: The Verse Programming Language (Simon Peyton Jones) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=832JF1o7Ck8 |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=YouTube |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212194257/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=832JF1o7Ck8 |url-status=live }} A research paper, titled The Verse Calculus: a Core Calculus for Functional Logic Programming, was also published.{{Cite web |last1=Augustsson |first1=Lennart |author-link1=Lennart Augustsson |last2=Breitner |first2=Joachim |last3=Claessen |first3=Koen |last4=Jhala |first4=Ranjit |last5=Peyton Jones |first5=Simon |author-link5=Simon Peyton Jones |last6=Shivers |first6=Olin |last7=Steele |first7=Guy |author-link7=Guy L. Steele Jr. |last8=Sweeney |first8=Tim |author-link8=Tim Sweeney (game developer) |date=March 2023 |title=The Verse Calculus: a Core Calculus for Functional Logic Programming |url=https://simon.peytonjones.org/assets/pdfs/verse-March23.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315071420/https://simon.peytonjones.org/assets/pdfs/verse-March23.pdf |archive-date=March 15, 2023 |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=Simon.PeytonJones.org}}

The language was eventually launched in March 2023 as part of the release of the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) at the Game Developers Conference, with plans to be available to all Unreal Engine users by 2025.

Marketplace

With Unreal Engine 4, Epic opened the Unreal Engine Marketplace in September 2014. The Marketplace is a digital storefront that allows content creators and developers to provide art assets, models, sounds, environments, code snippets, and other features that others could purchase, along with tutorials and other guides. Some content is provided for free by Epic, including previously offered Unreal assets and tutorials.{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamesn.com/unreal-engine-marketplace-open-business | title = The Unreal Engine Marketplace is open for business | first = Fraser | last = Brown | date = September 4, 2014 | access-date = July 12, 2018 | work = PCGamesN | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180713011518/https://www.pcgamesn.com/unreal-engine-marketplace-open-business | archive-date = July 13, 2018 | url-status = live }} Prior to July 2018, Epic took a 30% share of the sales but due to the success of Unreal and Fortnite Battle Royale, Epic retroactively reduced its take to 12%.{{cite magazine | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-is-making-so-much-money-that-epic-is-giving-unreal-marketplace-creators-a-big-raise/ | title = Fortnite is making so much money that Epic is giving Unreal Marketplace creators a big raise | first = Andy | last = Chalk | date = July 12, 2018 | access-date = July 12, 2018 | magazine = PC Gamer | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180713013236/https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-is-making-so-much-money-that-epic-is-giving-unreal-marketplace-creators-a-big-raise/ | archive-date = July 13, 2018 | url-status = live }}

Usage

=Video games=

Unreal Engine was originally designed to be used as the underlying technology for video games. The engine is used in a number of high-profile game titles with high graphics capabilities, including Hogwarts Legacy,{{Cite web |last=Vergara |first=Nico |date=2 February 2023 |title=Is Hogwarts Legacy on Unreal Engine 5? |url=https://www.videogamer.com/news/is-hogwarts-legacy-on-unreal-engine-5/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202134315/https://www.videogamer.com/news/is-hogwarts-legacy-on-unreal-engine-5/ |archive-date=2 February 2023 |access-date=27 February 2023 |website=VideoGamer}} PUBG: Battlegrounds, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Valorant and Yoshi's Crafted World, in addition to games developed by Epic, including Gears of War and Fortnite.{{cite web |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Tim |last2=Kruppa |first2=Miles |title=Epic and Unity rev their engines for the next era of entertainment |url=https://www.ft.com/content/f77b7979-c943-4b9d-b7b7-7953b63bea7e |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200812195345/https://www.ft.com/content/f77b7979-c943-4b9d-b7b7-7953b63bea7e |url-status=dead| archive-date=August 12, 2020|publisher=Financial Times |date=August 12, 2020}}{{Cite web |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Tim |last2=Kruppa |first2=Miles |date=2020-08-13 |title=Epic and Unity rev their engines for the next era of entertainment |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/08/epic-and-unity-rev-their-engines-for-the-next-era-of-entertainment/ |access-date= |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=December 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205164714/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/08/epic-and-unity-rev-their-engines-for-the-next-era-of-entertainment/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Dealessandri |first=Marie |date=January 16, 2020 |title=What is the best game engine: is Unreal Engine right for you? |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-01-16-what-is-the-best-game-engine-is-unreal-engine-4-the-right-game-engine-for-you |access-date=2021-07-19 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en |archive-date=November 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117180234/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-01-16-what-is-the-best-game-engine-is-unreal-engine-4-the-right-game-engine-for-you |url-status=live }} Polish game developer CD Projekt is also planning to use the engine after retiring their in-house REDengine; their first game to use Unreal will be a remake of The Witcher.{{Cite web|date=2022-03-21|title=The Witcher - A New Saga Begins|url=https://www.thewitcher.com/en/news/42167/a-new-saga-begins/|access-date=2022-04-07|archive-date=April 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412081437/https://www.thewitcher.com/en/news/42167/a-new-saga-begins|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/cd-projekt-will-swap-redengine-for-unreal-engine-5-to-create-the-next-i-witcher-i-saga|title=CD Projekt will swap REDengine for Unreal Engine 5 to create the next Witcher saga|website=Game Developer|date=22 March 2022|access-date=April 6, 2023|archive-date=April 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405234232/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/cd-projekt-will-swap-redengine-for-unreal-engine-5-to-create-the-next-i-witcher-i-saga|url-status=live}}{{cite web |last=Patel |first=Ashkay |date=9 September 2022 |title=After Cyberpunk 2077's Disastrous Launch, CDPR Is Ditching REDengine For Unreal |url=https://www.thegamer.com/cd-projekt-red-ditching-redengine-for-unreal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119021242/https://www.thegamer.com/cd-projekt-red-ditching-redengine-for-unreal/ |archive-date=January 19, 2023 |access-date=April 6, 2023 |website=The Gamer}}{{cite web |last=Nightingale |first=Ed |date=26 October 2022 |title=CD Projekt Red announces remake of first Witcher game |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/cd-projekt-announces-remake-of-first-witcher-game |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521124637/https://www.eurogamer.net/cd-projekt-announces-remake-of-first-witcher-game |archive-date=May 21, 2023 |access-date=26 August 2022 |website=Eurogamer}}

Usage of Unreal Engine has been steadily increasing since 2012, from an estimated 17% market share to 28% in 2024, compared to Unity's 50%.{{cite web |last1=Foley |first1=Joe |title=Steam data shows the meteoric rise of Unreal Engine for game development |url=https://www.creativebloq.com/3d/video-game-design/unreal-engine-dominates-as-the-most-successful-game-engine-data-reveals |website=Creative Bloq |language=en |date=13 February 2025}} By sales, Unreal accounts for 31% compared to Unity's 26%, with proprietary engines accounting for a combined 42%, making Unreal the largest engine by units sold.

=Film and television=

Unreal Engine has found use in filmmaking to create virtual sets that can track with a camera's motion around actors and objects and be rendered in real time to large LED screens and atmospheric lighting systems. This allows for real-time composition of shots, immediate editing of the virtual sets as needed, and the ability to shoot multiple scenes within a short period by just changing the virtual world behind the actors. The overall appearance was recognized to appear more natural than typical chromakey effects.

{{ external media

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| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUnxzVOs3rk Industrial Light & Magic - The Virtual Production of The Mandalorian]

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Among the productions to use these technologies were the live action television series The Mandalorian, Westworld and Fallout,[https://beforesandafters.com/2024/06/05/the-vfx-of-fallout-shooting-on-an-led-volume-on-film-crafting-one-eyed-digital-humans-mixing-practical-and-digital-and-more/ The VFX of ‘Fallout’: shooting on an LED volume on film, crafting one-eyed digital humans, mixing practical and digital, and more] and the animated series Zafari and Super Giant Robot Brothers. Jon Favreau and Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic division worked with Epic in developing their StageCraft technology for The Mandalorian, based on a similar approach Favreau had used in The Lion King.{{Cite web |last=Lodderhose |first=Diana |date=May 21, 2023 |title=Technologies Like AI & Unreal Engine Are A Having Big Impact On The Entertainment Business, But Where Will It Go From Here? |url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/ai-unreal-engine-technology-disruptors-1235364383/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731012628/https://deadline.com/2023/05/ai-unreal-engine-technology-disruptors-1235364383/ |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}{{Cite web |date=September 12, 2017 |title=Upcoming Animated Series 'Zafari' Is Being Rendered Completely With The Unreal Game Engine |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/tools/upcoming-animated-series-zafari-rendered-completely-unreal-game-engine-153123.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214073431/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/tools/upcoming-animated-series-zafari-rendered-completely-unreal-game-engine-153123.html |archive-date=February 14, 2018 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |website=Cartoon Brew}}{{cite web | url = https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/19/why-the-mandalorian-cites-fortnite-dev-epic-games-in-its-credits/ | title = Why 'The Mandalorian' cites Fortnite dev Epic Games in its credits | first = Jeff | last = Grubb | date = November 19, 2019 | access-date = August 1, 2020 | work = Venture Beat | archive-date = January 5, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220105183548/https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/19/why-the-mandalorian-cites-fortnite-dev-epic-games-in-its-credits/ | url-status = live }}{{cite web | url = https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/mandalorian-ilm-innovative-stagecraft-tech-220120449.html | title = 'The Mandalorian': How ILM's Innovative StageCraft Tech Created a 'Star Wars' Virtual Universe | first = Bill | last = Desowitz | date = February 20, 2020 | access-date = August 1, 2020 | work = Yahoo News | archive-date = January 5, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220105121511/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/mandalorian-ilm-innovative-stagecraft-tech-220120449.html | url-status = live }}{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/tv/2020/2/20/21146152/the-mandalorian-making-of-video-unreal-engine-projection-screen | title = How Lucasfilm used Unreal Engine to make The Mandalorian | first = Owen | last = Good | date = February 20, 2020 | access-date = August 1, 2020 | work = Polygon | archive-date = November 13, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201113105740/https://www.polygon.com/tv/2020/2/20/21146152/the-mandalorian-making-of-video-unreal-engine-projection-screen | url-status = live }} Favreau then shared this technology approach with Westworld producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. The show had already looked at the use of virtual sets before and had some technology established, but integrated the use of Unreal Engine as with StageCraft for its third season.{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2020/tv/features/westworld-season-3-hbo-lisa-joy-jonathan-nolan-1203529268/ | title = 'Westworld' Showrunners on the Series' Bold New Direction for Season 3 | first = Adam | last = Vary | date = March 12, 2020 | access-date = August 1, 2020 | work = Variety | archive-date = March 9, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220309165413/https://variety.com/2020/tv/features/westworld-season-3-hbo-lisa-joy-jonathan-nolan-1203529268/ | url-status = live }}{{Cite web |last=Failes |first=Ian |date=June 25, 2020 |title='Westworld's' journey into the LED screen revolution |url=https://beforesandafters.com/2020/06/25/westworlds-journey-into-the-led-screen-revolution/ |access-date=November 17, 2020 |website=Befores & Afters |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105120151/https://beforesandafters.com/2020/06/25/westworlds-journey-into-the-led-screen-revolution/ |url-status=live }}

Orca Studios, a Spanish-based company, has been working with Epic to establish multiple studios for virtual filming similar to the StageCraft approach with Unreal Engine providing the virtual sets, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted travel.{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2020/tv/global/mandalorian-style-led-volume-orca-studios-opens-spain-1234624036/ | title = 'Mandalorian'-Style Virtual Technology Sound Stage Orca Studios Opens in Spain | first = John | last = Hopewell | date = June 3, 2020 | access-date = August 1, 2020 | work = Variety | archive-date = May 7, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210507143232/https://variety.com/2020/tv/global/mandalorian-style-led-volume-orca-studios-opens-spain-1234624036/ | url-status = live }}

In January 2021, Deadline Hollywood announced that Epic was using part of its Epic MegaGrants to back for the first time an animated feature film, Gilgamesh, to be produced fully in Unreal Engine by animation studios Hook Up, DuermeVela and FilmSharks.{{cite web | url = https://deadline.com/2021/01/fortnite-creator-epic-games-animated-movie-gilgamesh-1234676907/ | title = 'Fortnite' Creator Epic Games Makes Foray Into Movies With Animated Pic 'Gilgamesh' | first = Andreas | last = Wiseman | date = January 21, 2021 | access-date = January 21, 2021 | work = Deadline Hollywood | archive-date = January 21, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210121194519/https://deadline.com/2021/01/fortnite-creator-epic-games-animated-movie-gilgamesh-1234676907/ | url-status = live }} As part of an extension of its MegaGrants, Epic also funded 45 additional projects since around 2020 for producing feature-length and short films in the Unreal Engine.{{cite web | url = https://venturebeat.com/2021/04/26/spire-animation-studios-kicks-off-epic-games-new-unreal-shorts-animated-film-program/ | title = Spire Animation Studios kicks off Epic Games' new Unreal Shorts animated film program | first = Dean | last = Takahashi | date = April 26, 2021 | accessdate = April 26, 2021 | work = Venture Beat | archive-date = October 6, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211006224802/https://venturebeat.com/2021/04/26/spire-animation-studios-kicks-off-epic-games-new-unreal-shorts-animated-film-program/ | url-status = live }} By October 2022, Epic was working with several different groups at over 300 virtual sets across the world.{{cite web | url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/volume-house-of-the-dragon-stage-mandalorian-1235244158/ | title = Too Much Volume? The Tech Behind 'Mandalorian' and 'House of the Dragon' Faces Growing Pains | first = Carolyn | last = Giardina | date = October 22, 2022 | accessdate = February 5, 2023 | work = The Hollywood Reporter | archive-date = February 4, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230204191351/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/volume-house-of-the-dragon-stage-mandalorian-1235244158/ | url-status = live }} Unreal Engine was used for motion capture in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.{{Cite web |last=reallusionblog |date=2023-06-30 |title=Lyle, Lyle Crocodile's Real-time VFX brings life to the dancing and singing crocodile. |url=https://magazine.reallusion.com/2023/06/30/lyle-lyle-crocodiles-real-time-vfx-brings-life-to-the-dancing-and-singing-crocodile/ |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=Reallusion Magazine |language=en-US}}

=Other uses=

Unreal Engine has also been used by non-creative fields due to its availability and feature sets. It has been used as a basis for a virtual reality tool to explore pharmaceutical drug molecules in collaboration with other researchers, as a virtual environment to explore and design new buildings and automobiles, and used for cable news networks to support real-time graphics.{{cite web | url = https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/14/the-reason-epic-landed-a-15-billion-valuation-is-not-fortnite-success.html | title = The real reason Epic landed a $15 billion valuation is not Fortnite's viral video game success | first = Erica | last = Yee | date = December 14, 2018 | accessdate = July 19, 2021 | work = CNBC | archive-date = November 9, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211109100919/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/14/the-reason-epic-landed-a-15-billion-valuation-is-not-fortnite-success.html | url-status = live }} Some car companies, most prominently including Rivian, use Unreal Engine in their infotainment systems.{{cite web | url = https://venturebeat.com/games/rivian-launches-2nd-gen-r1-electric-vehicles-using-unreal-engine-for-dashboard/ | title = Rivian launches 2nd gen R1 electric vehicles using Unreal Engine for dashboard | first = Dean| last = Takahash| date = June 6, 2024 | accessdate = May 6, 2025 | work = VentureBeat }}

File:Unreal Government Network logo.png

In March 2012, Epic Games announced a partnership with Virtual Heroes of Applied Research Associates to launch Unreal Government Network, a program that handles Unreal Engine licenses for government agencies.{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=March 28, 2012 |title=Epic licensing Unreal Engine 3 for FBI training sim and other 'serious games' |url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/3/28/2908051/epic-unreal-engine-3-licensed-government-agencies |access-date=November 15, 2022 |website=The Verge |archive-date=November 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115202722/https://www.theverge.com/2012/3/28/2908051/epic-unreal-engine-3-licensed-government-agencies |url-status=live }} Several projects originated with this support agreement, including an anaesthesiology training software for U.S. Army physicians, a multiplayer crime scene simulation developed by the FBI Academy, and various applications for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity with the aim to help intelligence analysts recognize and mitigate cognitive biases that might affect their work.{{Cite web |date=March 28, 2012 |title=Unreal games engine licensed to FBI and other US agencies |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17535906 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704194051/http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17535906 |archivedate=July 4, 2017 |access-date=July 18, 2017 |website=BBC}}{{Cite web |last=Brightman |first=James |date=March 27, 2012 |title=Epic Games launches Unreal Government Network for serious games applications |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-03-27-epic-games-launches-unreal-government-network-for-serious-games-applications |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822134542/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-03-27-epic-games-launches-unreal-government-network-for-serious-games-applications |archivedate=August 22, 2016 |access-date=June 24, 2017 |website=GamesIndustry.biz}} Similarly, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command and Research Laboratory employed the engine to develop a platform to train first responders titled Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment (EDGE).{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/army-dhs-join-forces-for-virtual-training-tech-for-first-responders |title=Army, DHS join forces for virtual training tech for first responders |last=Barrie |first=Allison |date=November 21, 2013 |website=Fox News |access-date=June 29, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116022708/http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/11/21/army-dhs-join-forces-for-virtual-training-tech-for-first-responders.html |archive-date=November 16, 2015 }}

Awards

The engine has received numerous awards:

Technology & Engineering Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) for "3D Engine Software for the Production of Animation" in 2018{{Cite web |last=Cowley |first=Dana |date=November 15, 2018 |title=Unreal Engine Wins Technology & Engineering Emmy® for Animation Production |url=https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/unreal-engine-wins-technical-and-engineering-emmy-for-animation-production |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117022252/https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/unreal-engine-wins-technical-and-engineering-emmy-for-animation-production |archive-date=November 17, 2018 |access-date=November 16, 2018 |website=Unreal Engine}}
Primetime Engineering Emmy Award from the Television Academy for exceptional developments in broadcast technology in 2020{{Cite web |date=October 8, 2020 |title=Engineering Emmy Winners Announced |url=https://www.emmys.com/news/awards-news/engineering-201008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204051152/https://www.emmys.com/news/awards-news/engineering-201008 |archive-date=February 4, 2022 |access-date=October 10, 2020 |website=Emmys.com}}
Annie Award from ASIFA-Hollywood for technical advancement in animation in 2021{{Cite web |last=Davenport |first=Chris |date=March 4, 2021 |title=Epic Games' Unreal Engine Will be Recognized at Annie Awards |url=https://gamerant.com/epic-games-unreal-enginge-annie-awards/ |access-date=March 7, 2021 |website=Gamerant |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427212618/https://gamerant.com/epic-games-unreal-enginge-annie-awards/ |url-status=live }}
Game Developer Magazine Front Line Award for Best Game Engine for 2004,{{Cite magazine |date=January 2005 |title=Front Line Awards 2004 |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_January_2005/page/n15/mode/2up |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |page=14}} 2005,{{Cite magazine |date=January 2006 |title=Front Line Awards 2005 |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_January_2006/mode/2up |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |page=17}} 2006,{{Cite magazine |date=January 2007 |title=Front Line Awards 2006 |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_January_2007/page/n17/mode/2up |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |page=14}} 2007,{{Cite magazine |date=January 2008 |title=Front Line Awards 2007 |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_January_2008/page/n27/mode/2up |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |page=24}} 2009,{{Cite magazine |date=January 2010 |title=Front Line Awards 2009 |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_January_2010/page/n11/mode/2up |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |page=11}} 2010,{{Cite magazine |date=January 2011 |title=Front Line Awards 2010 |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_January_2011/page/n19/mode/2up |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |page=19}} 2011,{{Cite magazine |date=January 2012 |title=Front Line Awards 2011 |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_January_2012/page/n11/mode/2up |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |page=10}} and 2012{{Cite magazine |date=January 2013 |title=Front Line Awards 2012 |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_January_2013/page/n13/mode/2up |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |page=13}}
Develop Industry Excellence Award for Best Engine for 2009,{{cite web |last=French |first=Michael |date=July 16, 2009 |title=Develop Awards: The Winners In Full |url=http://www.develop-online.net/news/develop-awards-the-winners-in-full/0105040 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722040622/http://www.develop-online.net/news/develop-awards-the-winners-in-full/0105040 |archive-date=July 22, 2016 |access-date=July 15, 2016 |publisher=Develop}} 2010,{{cite web |last=Crossley |first=Rob |date=July 15, 2010 |title=Develop Awards: Unreal Engine wins tight race |url=http://www.develop-online.net/news/develop-awards-unreal-engine-wins-tight-race/0107364 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722040056/http://www.develop-online.net/news/develop-awards-unreal-engine-wins-tight-race/0107364 |archive-date=July 22, 2016 |access-date=July 15, 2016 |website=MCV |publisher=Develop}} 2011,{{cite news |last=Hoggins |first=Tom |date=July 21, 2011 |title=Develop Industry Excellence Award winners announced |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8652100/Develop-Industry-Excellence-Award-winners-announced.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722040525/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8652100/Develop-Industry-Excellence-Award-winners-announced.html |archive-date=July 22, 2016}} 2013,{{cite web |last=French |first=Michael |date=July 10, 2013 |title=Game development stars honoured in Brighton |url=http://www.develop-online.net/news/game-development-stars-honoured-in-brighton/0115352 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722040500/http://www.develop-online.net/news/game-development-stars-honoured-in-brighton/0115352 |archive-date=July 22, 2016 |access-date=July 15, 2016 |publisher=Develop}} 2016,{{cite web |last=Kayser |first=Daniel |date=July 14, 2016 |title=Unreal Engine 4 Wins Develop Industry Excellence Award for Best Engine |url=https://www.unrealengine.com/news/unreal-engine-4-wins-develop-industry-excellence-award-for-best-engine |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722040420/https://www.unrealengine.com/news/unreal-engine-4-wins-develop-industry-excellence-award-for-best-engine |archive-date=July 22, 2016 |access-date=July 15, 2016 |website=Unreal Engine |publisher=Epic Games}} 2017,{{Cite web |last=Cowley |first=Dana |date=July 25, 2017 |title=Develop Industry Excellence Awards 2017: Best Engine |url=https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/develop-industry-excellence-awards-2017-best-engine |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805195851/https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/develop-industry-excellence-awards-2017-best-engine |archive-date=August 5, 2017 |access-date=July 26, 2017 |website=Unreal Engine |df=mdy-all}} and 2018{{Cite web |last=Barton |first=Seth |date=July 12, 2018 |title=The Develop Awards 2018: All the winners! |url=https://www.mcvuk.com/development/the-develop-awards-2018-all-the-winners |access-date=July 18, 2018 |website=MCV |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213093633/https://www.mcvuk.com/development-news/the-develop-awards-2018-all-the-winners/ |url-status=live }}
Guinness World Record for most successful video game engine in 2014.{{cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-successful-game-engine |title=Most successful videogame engine |website=Guinness World Records |date=July 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222151655/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-successful-game-engine |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |url-status=live}}

Legal aspects

The state of the Unreal Engine came up in Epic's 2020 legal action against Apple Inc. claiming anticompetitive behavior in Apple's iOS App Store. Epic had uploaded a version of Fortnite that violated Apple's App Store allowances. Apple, in response, removed the Fortnite app and later threatened to terminate Epic's developer accounts which would have prevented Epic from updating the Unreal Engine for iOS and macOS.{{cite web | url = https://theappdevelopers.co.uk/portfolio/daily-crunch-apple-removes-fortnite-from-the-app-store/ | title = Daily Crunch: Apple removes Fortnite from the App Store | first = Elliot | last = Bell | date = August 14, 2020 | access-date = August 14, 2020 | archive-date = June 5, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210605224903/https://theappdevelopers.co.uk/portfolio/daily-crunch-apple-removes-fortnite-from-the-app-store/ | url-status = live }} The court agreed to grant Epic a permanent injunction against Apple to prevent Apple from taking this step, since the court agreed that would impact numerous third-party developers that rely on the Unreal Engine.{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/9/21492334/epic-fortnite-apple-lawsuit-restraining-order-unreal-engine | title = Epic judge permanently restrains Apple from blocking Unreal Engine, but won't force Fortnite | first1 = Nick | last1 = Statt | first2 = Jay | last2 = Peters | date = October 9, 2020 | access-date = October 9, 2020 | work = The Verge | archive-date = February 4, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220204103219/https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/9/21492334/epic-fortnite-apple-lawsuit-restraining-order-unreal-engine | url-status = live }}