Unreal Engine 5: From Photorealism to the Big Screen

Epic Games showcased its vision for the metaverse at GDC's State of Unreal, highlighting the Unreal Editor for Fortnite and its creator economy. CEO Tim Sweeney explained why the metaverse is becoming a reality, while EVP Saxs Persson discussed expanding Fortnite's creations beyond shooters and building a fair ecosystem. The company also introduced new procedural tools, part of the Unreal 5.2 update, which allow developers to generate photorealistic foliage, simulate rocks and paths, and create natural elements with just a few clicks. VP of engineering Nick Penwarden noted that procedural content generation was a key goal for UE5, and the company has been working on digital content generation tools for a while. With 77% of Unreal users now using UE5 and 750,000 active users, Penwarden expressed excitement about the first year of UE5, citing the ease of transition from UE4 and the creativity of customers. Epic Games' CTO Kim Libreri discussed the potential of generative AI, stating that it can inspire human creativity and enable new forms of artistry. The company also demonstrated Metahuman Animator, which can create animated characters in minutes, and discussed its long-term plan for the Metahuman product, including enabling actors to exist in virtual spaces and interact with users in meaningful ways. Epic Games believes that the convergence of film and games will lead to a new breed of creators and a melting pot of entertainment, with the ability to create IP, characters, and environments that can be used across different mediums. The company is focused on developing Unreal Engine to scale up or down, catering to both small games on mobile and big productions in film, and enabling the creation of high-quality, photorealistic images. As the company looks to the future, it aims to continue its march towards photorealism, achieve diversity in its data sets, and enable people to become Metahumans, with the ultimate goal of creating a virtual world that is immersive, interactive, and full of possibilities.