Epic MegaGrants reaches $13 million milestone in 2019

We are happy to share that as of today, Epic Games has awarded more than $13 million dollars of financial support to more than 200 recipients as part of the company’s $100 million Epic MegaGrants program. The initial series of funds disbursed marks a record for Epic’s grant commitments, officially surpassing the four-year distributed total of the initiative’s predecessor—Unreal Dev Grants—in eight months.

“Through Epic MegaGrants we’re supporting developers and tool creators at an unprecedented level, empowering talented teams and individuals to more easily realize their artistic and technical ambitions,” said Marc Petit, General Manager, Unreal Engine, Epic Games.

Epic MegaGrants typically range from $5,000 to $500,000 and cover a variety of endeavors to further ignite creativity and technological advancement within the 3D graphics community. Earlier this year Epic announced $1.2 million dollars in financial support over a three-year period to the free and open source 3D creation suite Blender, marking the largest singular grant in the initiative’s history.

Launched in March 2019, Epic MegaGrants is designed to service and assist game developers, enterprise professionals, media and entertainment creators, students, educators, and tool developers doing outstanding work with Unreal Engine or enhancing open-source capabilities for the 3D graphics community.

Here is a short selection of recipients who have agreed to have their projects showcased, followed by a list of publicly-announced recipients at the bottom: 

INDEPENDENT GAME: Endling by Herobeat Studios - Website 

From Spanish developers Herobeat Studios, Endling is a stylized 3D sidescroller with an environmental message at its core. Playing as one of the last foxes on Earth, explore a ravaged dystopian future and guide your litter to safety as you survive the destruction left behind by humanity. Feed, teach, and care for your three cubs as you search for safety. Endling is set to pounce onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch soon, but you can add it to your wishlist today on Steam.

INDEPENDENT GAME: Towers by Dreamlit Games - Website 

Dreamlit Games captures imaginations with their visually stunning multiplayer open-world project Towers. Developed by a six-person team over the course of just 12 months, the prototype envisions a vibrant, living environment that invites players to explore, build, and defend together at an epic scale. Follow Towers throughout its development to learn more about its rich and responsive world.

INDEPENDENT GAME: Infinitesimals by Cubit Studios - Website 

Infinitesimals is a third-person sci-fi adventure that plays with perspective, placing you in the (very tiny) boots of an alien species scaled at only fractions of an inch. Marooned in the wilderness of Earth, overcome the wilderness, insects, and other unexpected threats as you search the landscape for valuable resources. Follow the development of Infinitesimals on Twitter, where Cubit Studios share regular updates.

INDEPENDENT GAME: Omno by StudioInkyFox - Website 

Created by just a single developer, Omno is an upcoming third-person adventure that invites you to get lost in its varied and atmospheric landscapes. Journey through rolling dunes, ethereal clouds, and lush forests as you solve puzzles in an attempt to uncover the mysteries of a civilization lost to time. What secrets have been forgotten and what friends have you yet to find? Discover the answers to these questions and more in 2020 when Omno arrives on Steam.

TOOLS AND OPEN-SOURCE: Dust3D by Jeremy HU - Website

Dust3D is a free and fully open source 3D modeling application that accelerates pipelines and allows for the creation of assets with texture and rigging automatically generated. It’s very intuitive and features auto UV unwrapping, auto-rigging, PBR Material support, as well as pose and motion authoring.

TOOLS AND OPEN SOURCE: Promethean AI - Website 

Promethean AI aims to redefine how users build, interact with, and express themselves in virtual worlds, all with a click of a button. Semantically aware, Promethean AI is a standalone application, compatible with most modern 3D renderers, that is able to populate entire scenes based on just a few simple inquiries or directives. In combination with robust asset management features revealed earlier in 2019, Promethean AI allows creators to do more of what they love; create.

ENTERPRISE: AR Interactive books by ScienceViz Studio - Website 

ScienceViz Studio is augmenting the way we communicate science through AR Interactive Books. Using just phones, tablets or ARGlasses visualize and interact with 3D objects, creating scientific illustrations that more easily convey complex concepts. AR Interactive books are a powerful tool that aids researchers and education professionals in bridging the learning gap through immersion. 

TOOLS AND OPEN-SOURCE: ILIAD by Praxinos - Website 

An acronym for "Intelligent Layered Imaging Architecture for Drawing", ILIAD brings drawing capabilities directly into Unreal Engine, enabling users to edit textures in engine, in real-time. Users can create unique brushes, palettes, layers, as well as a range of other common classic painting tools, all with Blueprints. ILIAD is also compatible with Ink-based tablets and Wacom tablets.

EDUCATION: Charisma VR by The University of Texas at Dallas - Brain Performance Institute - Website 

The University of Texas at Dallas - Brain Performance Institute is making social training accessible through the immersive nature of virtual reality. BPI has developed has created authentic virtual environments where users can interact with clinicians live online and receive dynamic social coaching from the comfort of their own home. Users can experience and prepare for real-life social scenarios by communicating with avatars driven by trained social coaches. 

MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT: UE4 Cinematic Animated Shorts Pipeline by e→d films - Website 

Award-winning animation studio e→d films are known for creating thought-provoking, innovative short films that blend expert techniques with modern technology. Master storytellers in their own right, the Montreal-based team has been experimenting with real-time engines for half a decade to produce new forms of beautiful cultural and educational content.

ENTERPRISE: Virteasy Dental by HRV Simulation - Website

Developed in partnership with the University of Sheffield, Virteasy Dental trains students for real-world procedures before patients even sit in the chair. Mixing interactive simulations, powered by Unreal Engine, with the use of a haptic arm, students are able to not only replicate, but simulate through feeling what it feels like to work on teeth. With live educational installations in Spain, China, and Ukraine, Virteasy Dental aims to revolutionize the dental curriculum. 

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Here is a full list of Epic MegaGrant recipients that have agreed to be part of this announcement:

Akhil VS - Unrealcg
AFun Interactive Inc - Digital K-POP Celebrity "Apoki"
Agenium IT & Systems
Algoryx Simulation AB
Angry Demon Studio AB - Apsulov: End of Gods
Aperium - Kinetic Engine Plugin & Training Demo
Aquiris Game Studio
ArchiReality - Basquiat Art
Archvyz
Arcturus Studios
Arne Lubbers
Art of Lincoln Hughes
ArtCraft Inc. - Visualization with UE4
ArtsMatter - ArtsMatter 2030
Atelier Monolit - The Beach House
ATICA Forever
Atlas V
Beijing Flow Interactive Technology Co., Ltd.
Belmont University - Establish the Laboratory of Audio for Interactive Media
Ben Glover - Simple Misunderstanding
Bionatics
Blender
bluecurse LLC - Snacko
Brackenwood Games - The Last of the Dashkin 2 (working title)
Brushify.io
C2 Game Studio - Project Monolith
Chris Vranos - Composite Brush
Civil FX | Simulator for Active Distracted Driving (SADD)
CM Labs Simulations Inc. - Vortex Studio
Coffee Addict Studio - Hazel Sky
Colors Zero
Cornell University - Virtual Places
Cubit Studios - Infinitesimals
Darewise Entertainment - Life Beyond
Dimfrost Studio - Bramble: The Mountain King
Dragonsan Studios - Atavism
Duality Robotics, Inc.
e→d films - UE4 Cinematic Animated Shorts Pipeline
Earnest Pictures - Jeffrey
Else Forty - Spline Plus
FIR - Haskell to SPIR-V compiler for shaders
Felix & Paul Studios
Framestore
Gawain Industries - Brigge for Blender
Giant Form Entertainment
Green Light Go - Psydekick Science Kit
Hassell Studio
Headless Studio
Heriot-Watt University 
Herobeat Studios - Endling
Hollow Earth - Wild Knights
HRV Simulation - Virteasy Dental
HTX Labs - EMPACT
Hypnotic Ants Studio - Dreamo
IGGYMOB - Gungrave Gore
Innerspace VF France - A Fisherman’s Tale 
Jeremy HU - Dust3D
Joey Campbell - Immersive Wellness
Joshua (MordenTral) Statzer - VR Expansion Plugin
JR Architecture Ltd - Real Time Rendering
Kenichi Makaya - Ray Tracing Demos for Architectural Visualization
Lifelike & Believable Animation Design / Animatrik Film Design Co-Production
Line Creative LTD - VR Training Simulations
Loko AI
Lux Machina
Mad Head Games - Project Glitch
Model Haven
MOFAC - Realtime Animation Production
Motif Co., Ltd - Uncharted Waters Origin
Nevercenter - Milo: Real-Time Renderer With Modeling Tools
OBVIOOS / FURIOOS
Ore Creative LLC. - Ira Act 1: Pilgrimage
Panzer
Peter Conlin - Remote Orbit 
Pipeworks Studio - The Night Terrors 
Pippi
play4REAL Lab - Freeze!: An XR Videogame Intervention for Risk Reduction in Teens
Praxinos - ILIAD
Presagis
Rekim
Retroid Interactive - Wunderling
Rochester Institute of Technology
ScienceViz Studio - AR interactive books
Senscape — ASYLUM
SideFX - Houdini
Simthetiq
Skullbot Games - Gone Viral
Smilegate Entertainment - ROGAN
Stark Gaming Inc - CastleDay & Vertical Third 
Stichting Krita Foundation - Krita
StudioInkyFox - Omno
Studio Red & Black LLC (dba Othereal)
Synthetic Insights ltd - Tensorflow Plugin
Takayuki Kondo 
Tasomachi
The Jim Henson Company
Tomasz Klin - LadyBug Tracker
The Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance (REMAP)
TheLifeofJevins
The University of Texas at Dallas - Brain Performance Institute - Charisma VR
Thoughtfish - COALA
UCLA REMAP / School of Theater, Film and Television - THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE - XR+Immersive Theater Adaptation
UltizeroGames - Lost Soul Aside
Unique Places to Save - The Hickory Project
Unreal Containers community hub
UTPlus Interactive Inc. - Project R
Vanishing Point North Ltd. - Vector
Void Dimensions Information Technologies - Light Tracer 2
WEVR
WinterCrownWORKS
Wolfgang Hohl - Game-based Learning | Educational Research Papers
Yashinski Studio - Visual Effects & Design - Divided Moon

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Join the conversation on social at @UnrealEngine and #EpicMegaGrants. 

For more information about Epic MegaGrants, visit unrealengine.com/megagrants.