Games

A world of possibilities

Free to download, Unreal Engine comes with everything you need to build and ship successful multi-platform games and location-based entertainment for any genre. With full access to source code, a robust C++ API, and Blueprint visual scripting at your fingertips, you can develop your title any way you like.

Video content courtesy of Studio Wildcard | Sumo Digital | Hazelight Studios | Ember Lab | Giant Squid | BlueTwelve Studio | Turtle Rock Studios | Ninja Theory
01Overview
02Features
03Case Studies
04Resources
05Get started
01

Overview

Reach the next level

Image courtesy of Awaceb

Any project, any size

Break free from barriers with tools and workflows that put you in control. Whether your team is made up of 5 or 500 developers, Unreal Engine’s pre-built, modular systems, customizable plugins, and source control integration will help you meet each project’s unique needs.
Image courtesy of BlueTwelve Studio

One unified content pipeline, all your platforms covered

Connect your players with the same high-quality experience across all major platforms, from mobile to console and PC—just like we do with Fortnite. Extend your worlds using XR (AR, VR, and MR) too!

Made for creators, by creators

At Epic, we use the engine ourselves to craft award-winning, chart-topping content—and what we learn we pass on to you in the form of powerful tools and optimizations. Over the course of two decades, Unreal Engine has become the most trusted, reliable engine in the world.
Image courtesy of Hazelight Studios | EA

A community committed to quality

The highest caliber of professionals continually choose Unreal Engine to push the limits of visual experiences. Whether you’re an aspiring developer or seasoned veteran, you’re joining an active community that’s committed to achieving excellence.
02

Features

Key features

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  • Image courtesy of Ninja Theory | Xbox Game Studios

    Industry-leading graphics

    Achieve awe-inspiring visual content out of the box with Unreal Engine’s physically based rasterized and ray-traced rendering. Take advantage of advanced dynamic shadow options, screenspace and true 3D reflections, versatile lighting tools, and a flexible node-based material editor to create the most realistic real-time content imaginable.  
  • Image courtesy of Rare

    Robust multiplayer framework

    For over two decades, Unreal Engine’s multiplayer framework has been battle-tested across many platforms and game types to produce some of the industry’s most engaging multiplayer experiences. Unreal Engine ships with a scalable and proven client/server architecture to bring instant viability to any project’s multiplayer component.
  • Image courtesy of Turtle Rock Studios | Warner Bros. Games

    Full access to C++ source code

    With free access to all C++ source code, you can study, customize, extend, and debug the entirety of Unreal Engine, and ship your project without obstruction. Our source code repository on GitHub is continually updated as we develop features in our own mainline, so you don’t even have to wait for the next product release to get your hands on the very latest code.
  • Image courtesy of Chump Squad

    Blueprints: create without coding

    With artist-friendly Blueprint visual scripting, you can rapidly prototype and ship interactive content without touching a line of code. Use Blueprints to build object behaviors and interactions, modify user interfaces, adjust input controls, and so much more. You can even visualize gameplay flow and inspect properties while testing your work using the powerful built-in debugger.

  • The highest-quality digital humans

    Next-gen games customers expect to be amazed by the characters they see. With MetaHuman Creator, you can create the highest-quality digital humans, complete with hair and clothing, in minutes. MetaHumans come fully rigged and ready to animate in your Unreal Engine projects, with eight levels of detail included.
03

case studies

Developer stories

Image courtesy of Giant Squid

Case Study

Sackboy: A Big Adventure remains cute as a button in next-gen

Designed for the PS5, Sackboy: A Big Adventure made the leap to 3D platformer via the deft work of Sumo Digital. Explore the process behind the creation of the BAFTA-nominated PS5 launch title.
Image courtesy of Ember Lab

Case Study

The magic of creating Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Image courtesy of Mojang Studios

Case Study

How a small team at Mojang Studios made Minecraft Dungeons in Unreal Engine

Image courtesy of Mojang Studios

Case Study

How a small team at Mojang Studios made Minecraft Dungeons in Unreal Engine

Case Study

The magic of creating Kena: Bridge of Spirits

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Case Study

How Square Enix leveraged Unreal Engine to modernize FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

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Privacy Policy
04

Resources

Learn how to use Unreal Engine

Whether you’re just getting started and need some basic guidance, or you’re a seasoned pro who’s pushing Unreal Engine to its limits, there’s a range of options to help you succeed.

Documentation

Artists' quick start

Learn how to get started as a content creator with Unreal Engine.

Online learning

Course

Balancing Blueprint and C++ in Game Development

1 hr, 30 mins
Learn how to make the most out of Unreal Engine by utilizing Blueprints and C++ in ways that complement their individual strengths. By the end, you’ll be able to assess which option fits your own project best.
Course

Becoming an Environment Artist in Unreal

2 hrs, 31 mins
Explore Unreal Engine in a production scenario, gaining the types of skills expected of any entry-level environment artist assigned to a AAA game or startup project.

Guides and white papers

Workflow on Fortnite: Collaboration on large teams with UnrealGamesSync

This paper explains the evolution of the development setup that powers Fortnite and other titles in the Epic Games catalog, the reasons behind this setup, and the details of its implementation. 

Grooming for Real-Time Realism: Hair and Fur with Unreal Engine

This white paper lays out the process of working with real-time hair and fur in Unreal Engine and offers solutions to artistic and technical challenges that artists might encounter.

Inside Unreal

Starting an Indie Studio from Scratch

Tiny indie studio Moving Pieces, creators of Dodo Peak and Shoulders of Giants, join us to share their journey into game development, including what it was like to start a project with zero programming experience, how to work effectively as a small team, and how they overcame technical pitfalls on a tight deadline. 
 

Welcome to UE5 Early Access

This is the first in a series of in-depth live presentations on Inside Unreal introducing the features of Unreal Engine 5 Early Access. Join us as, together with Epic’s engineering directors, we take a look at what’s new, what’s changed, and what’s to come.
05

Get started

Free download—includes every feature!

Get Unreal Engine

Get started for free

Unreal Engine comes fully loaded and production-ready out of the box, with every feature and full source code access included. It's free to get started for game development—a 5% royalty only kicks in when your title earns over $1 million USD. 

Talk to us

Custom licensing

Contact us for options for custom licenses that can include premium support; private training; negotiated terms for lower royalties, no royalties, or a different basis for royalty negotiation; and more.