<s>
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
(	O
UE	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
3D	O
computer	O
graphics	O
game	O
engine	O
developed	O
by	O
Epic	O
Games	O
,	O
first	O
showcased	O
in	O
the	O
1998	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
game	O
Unreal	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
developed	O
for	O
PC	B-Device
first-person	O
shooters	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
used	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
genres	O
of	O
games	O
and	O
has	O
seen	O
adoption	O
by	O
other	O
industries	O
,	O
most	O
notably	O
the	O
film	O
and	O
television	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
is	O
written	O
in	O
C++	B-Language
and	O
features	O
a	O
high	O
degree	O
of	O
portability	B-Architecture
,	O
supporting	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
desktop	B-Device
,	O
mobile	O
,	O
console	B-Device
,	O
and	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
latest	O
generation	O
,	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine5	O
,	O
was	O
launched	O
in	O
April	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
source	O
code	O
is	O
available	O
on	O
GitHub	B-Application
,	O
and	O
commercial	O
use	O
is	O
granted	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
royalty	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
has	O
included	O
features	O
from	O
acquired	O
companies	O
like	O
Quixel	O
in	O
the	O
engine	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
seen	O
as	O
helped	O
by	O
Fortnite	B-Application
's	O
revenue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first-generation	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Tim	O
Sweeney	O
,	O
the	O
founder	O
of	O
Epic	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Have	O
created	O
editing	O
tools	O
for	O
his	O
shareware	O
games	O
ZZT	B-Application
(	O
1991	O
)	O
and	O
Jill	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Jungle	I-Application
(	O
1992	O
)	O
,	O
Sweeney	O
began	O
writing	O
the	O
engine	O
in	O
1995	O
for	O
the	O
production	O
of	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
would	O
later	O
become	O
a	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
known	O
as	O
Unreal	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
first	O
,	O
the	O
engine	O
relied	O
completely	O
on	O
software	O
rendering	O
,	O
meaning	O
the	O
graphics	O
calculations	O
were	O
handled	O
by	O
the	O
central	B-General_Concept
processing	I-General_Concept
unit	I-General_Concept
(	O
CPU	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
over	O
time	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
capabilities	O
provided	O
by	O
dedicated	O
graphics	B-Device
cards	I-Device
,	O
focusing	O
on	O
the	O
Glide	B-Operating_System
API	I-Operating_System
,	O
specially	O
designed	O
for	O
3dfx	O
accelerators	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
OpenGL	B-Application
and	O
Direct3D	B-Application
were	O
supported	O
,	O
they	O
reported	O
a	O
slower	O
performance	O
compared	O
to	O
Glide	B-Operating_System
due	O
to	O
their	O
deficiency	O
in	O
texture	O
management	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sweeney	O
particularly	O
criticized	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
OpenGL	B-Application
drivers	O
for	O
consumer	O
hardware	O
,	O
describing	O
them	O
as	O
"	O
extremely	O
problematic	O
,	O
buggy	B-Error_Name
,	O
and	O
untested	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
labeled	O
the	O
code	O
in	O
the	O
implementation	O
as	O
"	O
scary	O
"	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
simpler	O
and	O
cleaner	O
support	O
for	O
Direct3D	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
regard	O
to	O
audio	O
,	O
Epic	O
employed	O
the	O
Galaxy	O
Sound	O
System	O
,	O
a	O
software	O
created	O
in	O
assembly	B-Language
language	I-Language
that	O
integrated	O
both	O
EAX	O
and	O
Aureal	O
technologies	O
,	O
and	O
allowed	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
tracker	O
music	O
,	O
which	O
gave	O
level	O
designers	O
flexibility	O
in	O
how	O
a	O
game	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
played	O
at	O
a	O
specific	O
point	O
in	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Steve	O
Polge	O
,	O
the	O
author	O
of	O
the	O
Reaper	O
Bots	O
plugin	O
for	O
Quake	B-Application
,	O
programmed	O
the	B-Application
artificial	I-Application
intelligence	I-Application
system	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
knowledge	O
he	O
had	O
gained	O
at	O
his	O
previous	O
employer	O
IBM	O
designing	O
router	B-Protocol
protocols	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Sweeney	O
,	O
the	O
hardest	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
engine	O
to	O
program	O
was	O
the	O
renderer	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
had	O
to	O
rewrite	O
its	O
core	O
algorithm	O
several	O
times	O
during	O
development	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
found	O
less	O
"	O
glamorous	O
"	O
the	O
infrastructure	B-Architecture
connecting	O
all	O
the	O
subsystems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
requiring	O
a	O
significant	O
personal	O
effort	O
,	O
he	O
said	O
the	O
engine	O
was	O
his	O
favorite	O
project	O
at	O
Epic	O
,	O
adding	O
:	O
"	O
Writing	O
the	O
first	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
was	O
a	O
3.5-year	O
,	O
breadth-first	O
tour	O
of	O
hundreds	O
of	O
unique	O
topics	O
in	O
software	O
and	O
was	O
incredibly	O
enlightening.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Even	O
though	O
Unreal	B-Application
was	O
designed	O
to	O
compete	O
with	O
id	O
Software	O
(	O
developer	O
of	O
Doom	B-Application
and	O
Quake	B-Application
)	O
,	O
co-founder	O
John	O
Carmack	O
complimented	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
16-bit	O
color	O
and	O
remarked	O
its	O
implementation	O
of	O
visual	O
effects	O
such	O
as	O
volumetric	O
fog	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unreal	B-Application
has	O
done	O
an	O
important	O
thing	O
in	O
pushing	O
toward	O
direct	O
color	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
gives	O
the	O
artists	O
a	O
lot	O
more	O
freedom	O
,	O
"	O
he	O
said	O
in	O
an	O
article	O
written	O
by	O
Geoff	O
Keighley	O
for	O
GameSpot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Light	O
blooms	O
[	O
the	O
spheres	O
of	O
light ]	O
,	O
fog	O
volumes	O
,	O
and	O
composite	O
skies	O
were	O
steps	O
I	O
was	O
planning	O
on	O
taking	O
,	O
but	O
Epic	O
got	O
there	O
first	O
with	O
Unreal	B-Application
,	O
"	O
he	O
said	O
,	O
adding	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
Unreal	B-Application
engine	O
has	O
raised	O
the	O
bar	O
on	O
what	O
action	O
gamers	O
expect	O
from	O
future	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unreal	B-Application
was	O
noted	O
for	O
its	O
graphical	O
innovations	O
,	O
but	O
Sweeney	O
acknowledged	O
in	O
a	O
1999	O
interview	O
with	O
Eurogamer	O
that	O
many	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
unpolished	O
,	O
citing	O
complaints	O
from	O
gamers	O
about	O
its	O
high	O
system	O
requirements	O
and	O
online	O
gameplay	O
issues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
addressed	O
these	O
points	O
during	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Operating_System
Tournament	I-Operating_System
by	O
incorporating	O
several	O
enhancements	O
in	O
the	O
engine	O
intended	O
to	O
optimize	O
performance	O
on	O
low-end	O
machines	O
and	O
improve	O
the	O
networking	O
code	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
refining	O
the	B-Application
artificial	I-Application
intelligence	I-Application
for	O
bots	O
to	O
display	O
coordination	O
in	O
team-based	O
gamemodes	O
such	O
as	O
Capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
Flag	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
planned	O
as	O
an	O
expansion	O
pack	O
for	O
Unreal	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
also	O
came	O
with	O
increased	O
image	O
quality	O
with	O
the	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
S3TC	O
compression	O
algorithm	O
,	O
allowing	O
for	O
24-bit	O
high	O
resolution	O
textures	O
without	O
compromising	O
performance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
being	O
available	O
on	O
Windows	O
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
Mac	B-Operating_System
and	O
Unix	B-Application
,	O
the	O
engine	O
was	O
ported	O
through	O
Unreal	B-Operating_System
Tournament	I-Operating_System
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
Secret	O
Level	O
,	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
late	O
1999	O
,	O
The	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
indicated	O
that	O
there	O
had	O
been	O
sixteen	O
external	O
projects	O
using	O
Epic	O
's	O
technology	O
,	O
including	O
Deus	B-Application
Ex	I-Application
,	O
The	O
Wheel	O
of	O
Time	O
,	O
and	O
Duke	B-Application
Nukem	I-Application
Forever	I-Application
,	O
the	O
latter	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
originally	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Quake	B-Application
II	I-Application
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
id	O
Software	O
,	O
whose	O
engine	O
business	O
only	O
offered	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
,	O
Epic	O
provided	O
support	O
for	O
licensees	O
and	O
would	O
get	O
together	O
with	O
their	O
leads	O
to	O
discuss	O
improvements	O
to	O
its	O
game	O
development	O
system	O
,	O
internally	O
dubbed	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Tech	O
Advisory	O
Group	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
it	O
cost	O
around	O
$3	O
million	O
to	O
produce	O
and	O
licenses	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
$350	O
,	O
000	O
,	O
Epic	O
gave	O
players	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
modify	O
its	O
games	O
with	O
the	O
incorporation	O
of	O
UnrealEd	O
and	O
a	O
scripting	B-Language
language	I-Language
called	O
UnrealScript	O
,	O
sparking	O
a	O
community	O
of	O
enthusiasts	O
around	O
a	O
game	O
engine	O
built	O
to	O
be	O
extensible	O
over	O
multiple	O
generations	O
of	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
development	O
starting	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
,	O
the	O
second	O
version	O
made	O
its	O
debut	O
in	O
2002	O
with	O
America	B-Application
's	I-Application
Army	I-Application
,	O
a	O
free	O
multiplayer	O
shooter	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
U.S.	O
Army	O
as	O
a	O
recruitment	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soon	O
after	O
,	O
Epic	O
would	O
release	O
Unreal	B-Application
Championship	I-Application
on	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Device
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
to	O
utilize	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Capable	O
of	O
running	O
levels	O
nearly	O
100	O
times	O
more	O
detailed	O
than	O
those	O
found	O
in	O
Unreal	B-Application
,	O
the	O
engine	O
integrated	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
features	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
cinematic	O
editing	O
tool	O
,	O
particle	O
systems	O
,	O
export	O
plug-ins	O
for	O
3D	B-Language
Studio	I-Language
Max	I-Language
and	O
Maya	B-Language
,	O
and	O
a	O
skeletal	O
animation	O
system	O
first	O
showcased	O
in	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
version	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Operating_System
Tournament	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
user	O
interface	O
for	O
UnrealEd	O
was	O
rewritten	O
in	O
C++	B-Language
using	O
the	O
wxWidgets	B-Language
toolkit	O
,	O
which	O
Sweeney	O
said	O
was	O
the	O
"	O
best	O
thing	O
available	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Unreal	B-Application
Tournament	I-Application
2004	I-Application
,	O
vehicle-based	O
gameplay	O
was	O
successfully	O
implemented	O
,	O
enabling	O
large-scale	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Unreal	B-Application
Tournament	I-Application
2003	I-Application
had	O
support	O
for	O
vehicle	O
physics	O
through	O
the	O
Karma	O
engine	O
,	O
as	O
demonstrated	O
by	O
a	O
testmap	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
hastily-constructed	O
vehicle	O
"	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
n't	O
until	O
Psyonix	O
created	O
a	O
modification	O
out	O
of	O
Epic	O
's	O
base	O
code	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
received	O
fully	O
coded	O
vehicles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Psyonix	O
would	O
later	O
develop	O
Rocket	B-Application
League	I-Application
before	O
being	O
acquired	O
by	O
Epic	O
in	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
specialized	O
version	O
of	O
UE2	O
called	O
UE2X	O
was	O
designed	O
for	O
Unreal	B-Application
Championship	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Liandri	I-Application
Conflict	I-Application
on	O
the	B-Application
original	I-Application
Xbox	I-Application
platform	O
,	O
featuring	O
optimizations	O
specific	O
to	O
that	O
console	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2011	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
Montreal	O
revealed	O
that	O
UE2	O
was	O
successfully	O
running	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
via	O
Tom	O
Clancy	O
's	O
Splinter	O
Cell	O
3D	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
The	O
3DS	B-Operating_System
is	O
powerful	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
run	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
on	O
this	O
console	B-Device
,	O
which	O
is	O
pretty	O
impressive	O
for	O
a	O
handheld	O
machine	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
3D	O
does	O
n't	O
affect	O
the	O
performance	O
(	O
thanks	O
to	O
my	O
amazing	O
programmers	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
said	O
Ubisoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Screenshots	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
were	O
presented	O
by	O
July	O
2004	O
,	O
at	O
which	O
point	O
the	O
engine	O
had	O
already	O
been	O
in	O
development	O
for	O
over	O
18	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
The	O
basic	O
architectural	O
decisions	O
visible	O
to	O
programmers	O
of	O
an	O
object-oriented	B-Language
design	O
,	O
a	O
data-driven	O
scripting	O
approach	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
fairly	O
modular	O
approach	O
to	O
subsystems	O
still	O
remain	O
[	O
from	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
1 ]	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
2	O
,	O
which	O
still	O
supported	O
a	O
fixed-function	O
pipeline	O
,	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
fully	O
programmable	O
shader	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
rendering	O
side	O
,	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
provided	O
support	O
for	O
a	O
gamma-correct	O
high-dynamic	O
range	O
renderer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
games	O
released	O
using	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
were	O
Gears	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
for	O
Xbox	B-Device
360	O
,	O
and	O
RoboBlitz	B-Application
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
both	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
7	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
only	O
supported	O
Windows	O
,	O
PlayStation	O
3	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
360	O
platforms	O
,	O
while	O
iOS	B-Application
(	O
first	O
demonstrated	O
with	O
Epic	B-Operating_System
Citadel	I-Operating_System
)	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
were	O
added	O
later	O
in	O
2010	O
,	O
with	O
Infinity	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
being	O
the	O
first	O
iOS	B-Application
title	O
and	O
Dungeon	B-Application
Defenders	I-Application
the	O
first	O
Android	B-Application
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2011	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
engine	O
would	O
support	O
Adobe	O
Flash	O
Player	O
11	O
through	O
the	O
Stage	O
3D	O
hardware-accelerated	O
APIs	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
being	O
used	O
in	O
two	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
games	O
,	O
Batman	B-Application
:	I-Application
Arkham	I-Application
City	I-Application
and	O
Aliens	B-Device
:	I-Device
Colonial	I-Device
Marines	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
,	O
Epic	O
teamed-up	O
with	O
Mozilla	B-Operating_System
to	O
bring	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
to	O
the	O
web	O
;	O
using	O
the	O
asm.js	B-Language
sublanguage	O
and	O
Emscripten	B-Language
compiler	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
port	O
the	O
engine	O
in	O
four	O
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Throughout	O
the	O
lifetime	O
of	O
UE3	O
,	O
significant	O
updates	O
were	O
incorporated	O
,	O
including	O
improved	O
destructible	O
environments	O
,	O
soft	O
body	O
dynamics	O
,	O
large	O
crowd	O
simulation	O
,	O
iOS	B-Application
functionality	O
,	O
Steamworks	O
integration	O
,	O
a	O
real-time	O
global	B-Algorithm
illumination	I-Algorithm
solution	O
,	O
and	O
stereoscopic	O
3D	O
on	O
Xbox	B-Device
360	O
via	O
TriOviz	O
for	O
Games	O
Technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DirectX	B-Application
11	I-Application
support	O
was	O
demonstrated	O
with	O
the	O
Samaritan	O
demo	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
unveiled	O
at	O
the	O
2011	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
and	O
built	O
by	O
Epic	O
Games	O
in	O
a	O
close	O
partnership	O
with	O
Nvidia	O
,	O
with	O
engineers	O
working	O
around	O
the	O
country	O
to	O
push	O
real-time	O
graphics	O
to	O
a	O
new	O
high	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
was	O
quite	O
open	O
for	O
modders	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
,	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
publish	O
and	O
sell	O
games	O
meant	O
using	O
UE3	O
was	O
restricted	O
to	O
licenses	O
of	O
the	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
November	O
2009	O
,	O
Epic	O
released	O
a	O
free	O
version	O
of	O
UE3	O
's	O
SDK	B-Application
,	O
called	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Development	I-Application
Kit	I-Application
(	O
UDK	O
)	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
general	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2010	O
,	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Development	I-Application
Kit	I-Application
was	O
updated	O
to	O
include	O
support	O
for	O
creating	O
iOS	B-Application
games	O
and	O
apps	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
compatibility	O
in	O
the	O
September	O
2011	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2005	O
,	O
Mark	O
Rein	O
,	O
the	O
vice-president	O
of	O
Epic	O
Games	O
,	O
revealed	O
that	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
had	O
been	O
in	O
development	O
for	O
two	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
People	O
do	O
n't	O
realise	O
this	O
but	O
we	O
're	O
already	O
two	O
years	O
into	O
development	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Speaking	O
in	O
an	O
interview	O
in	O
early	O
2008	O
,	O
Sweeney	O
stated	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
basically	O
the	O
only	O
person	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
engine	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
affirmed	O
his	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
department	O
would	O
start	O
to	O
expand	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
developing	O
the	O
engine	O
in	O
parallel	O
with	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
are	O
going	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
team	O
developing	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
3	O
for	O
years	O
to	O
come	O
and	O
a	O
team	O
ramping	O
up	O
on	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2012	O
,	O
Rein	O
stated	O
"	O
people	O
are	O
going	O
to	O
be	O
shocked	O
later	O
this	O
year	O
when	O
they	O
see	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
"	O
;	O
Epic	O
unveiled	O
UE4	O
to	O
limited	O
attendees	O
at	O
the	O
2012	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
video	O
of	O
the	O
engine	O
being	O
demonstrated	O
by	O
technical	O
artist	O
Alan	O
Willard	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
on	O
June	O
7	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
via	O
GameTrailers	O
TV	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
major	O
features	O
planned	O
for	O
UE4	O
was	O
real-time	O
global	B-Algorithm
illumination	I-Algorithm
using	O
voxel	B-Algorithm
cone	I-Algorithm
tracing	I-Algorithm
,	O
eliminating	O
pre-computed	O
lighting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
this	O
feature	O
,	O
called	O
Sparse	O
Voxel	O
Octree	O
Global	B-Algorithm
Illumination	I-Algorithm
(	O
SVOGI	O
)	O
and	O
showcased	O
with	O
the	O
Elemental	O
demo	O
,	O
was	O
replaced	O
with	O
a	O
similar	O
but	O
less	O
computationally	O
expensive	O
algorithm	O
due	O
to	O
performance	O
concerns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
UE4	O
also	O
includes	O
the	O
new	O
"	O
Blueprints	O
"	O
visual	B-Language
scripting	I-Language
system	O
(	O
a	O
successor	O
to	O
UE3	O
's	O
"	O
Kismet	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
for	O
rapid	O
development	O
of	O
game	O
logic	O
without	O
using	O
code	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
less	O
of	O
a	O
divide	O
between	O
technical	O
artists	O
,	O
designers	O
,	O
and	O
programmers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
19	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
(	O
GDC	O
)	O
,	O
Epic	O
Games	O
released	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
through	O
a	O
new	O
licensing	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
a	O
monthly	O
subscription	O
at	O
,	O
developers	O
were	O
given	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
full	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
engine	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
C++	B-Language
source	O
code	O
,	O
which	O
could	O
be	O
downloaded	O
via	O
GitHub	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
game	O
released	O
using	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
was	O
Daylight	B-Application
,	O
developed	O
with	O
early	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
engine	O
and	O
released	O
on	O
April	O
29	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
4	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Epic	O
released	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
to	O
schools	O
and	O
universities	O
for	O
free	O
,	O
including	O
personal	O
copies	O
for	O
students	O
enrolled	O
in	O
accredited	O
video	O
game	O
development	O
,	O
computer	O
science	O
,	O
art	O
,	O
architecture	O
,	O
simulation	O
,	O
and	O
visualization	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
opened	O
an	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
Marketplace	O
for	O
acquiring	O
game	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
Epic	O
launched	O
Unreal	B-Application
Dev	O
Grants	O
,	O
a	O
$5	O
million	O
development	O
fund	O
aiming	O
to	O
provide	O
grants	O
to	O
creative	O
projects	O
using	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2015	O
,	O
Epic	O
released	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
all	O
future	O
updates	O
,	O
for	O
free	O
for	O
all	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sweeney	O
stated	O
that	O
when	O
they	O
moved	O
to	O
the	O
subscription	O
model	O
in	O
2014	O
,	O
use	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
grew	O
by	O
10	O
times	O
and	O
through	O
many	O
smaller	O
developers	O
,	O
and	O
believed	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
draw	O
even	O
more	O
uses	O
through	O
this	O
new	O
pricing	O
scheme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
attract	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
developers	O
,	O
Oculus	B-Application
VR	I-Application
announced	O
in	O
October	O
2016	O
that	O
it	O
will	O
pay	O
royalty	O
fees	O
for	O
all	O
Unreal-powered	O
Oculus	B-Device
Rift	I-Device
titles	O
published	O
on	O
their	O
store	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
first	O
$5	O
million	O
of	O
gross	O
revenue	O
per	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
prepare	O
for	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
its	O
free-to-play	O
battle	B-Application
royale	I-Application
mode	I-Application
in	O
Fortnite	B-Application
in	O
September	O
2017	O
,	O
Epic	O
had	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
modifications	O
that	O
helped	O
it	O
to	O
handle	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
(	O
up	O
to	O
100	O
)	O
of	O
connections	O
to	O
the	O
same	O
server	O
while	O
still	O
retaining	O
high	O
bandwidth	O
and	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
rendering	O
of	O
a	O
large	O
open	O
in-game	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
said	O
it	O
would	O
incorporate	O
these	O
changes	O
into	O
future	O
updates	O
of	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
opening	O
of	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
in	O
December	O
2018	O
,	O
Epic	O
will	O
not	O
charge	O
the	O
5%	O
revenue	O
fee	O
on	O
games	O
that	O
use	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
and	O
are	O
released	O
through	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Stores	O
,	O
absorbing	O
that	O
cost	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
base	O
12%	O
cut	O
Epic	O
is	O
taking	O
to	O
cover	O
other	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
officially	O
supports	O
the	O
following	O
platforms	O
as	O
of	O
4.27	O
(	O
August	O
2021	O
)	O
:	O
Windows	O
,	O
macOS	B-Application
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
,	O
Stadia	B-Application
,	O
Magic	B-General_Concept
Leap	I-General_Concept
,	O
HTC	O
Vive	O
,	O
Oculus	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
VR	I-Device
,	O
OSVR	B-Device
,	O
Samsung	B-Device
Gear	I-Device
VR	I-Device
,	O
and	O
HoloLens	B-Algorithm
2	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
formerly	O
supported	O
Google	B-Application
Daydream	I-Application
and	O
HTML5	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
was	O
revealed	O
on	O
May	O
13	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
supporting	O
all	O
existing	O
systems	O
including	O
the	O
next-generation	O
consoles	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nanite	O
virtualized	O
geometry	O
technology	O
allows	O
Epic	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
its	O
past	O
acquisition	O
of	O
Quixel	O
,	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
largest	O
photogrammetry	B-Application
library	O
as	O
of	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
goal	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
was	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
as	O
easy	O
as	O
possible	O
for	O
developers	O
to	O
create	O
detailed	O
game	O
worlds	O
without	O
having	O
to	O
spend	O
excessive	O
time	O
on	O
creating	O
new	O
detailed	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nanite	O
can	O
import	O
nearly	O
any	O
other	O
pre-existing	O
three-dimension	O
representation	O
of	O
objects	O
and	O
environments	O
,	O
including	O
ZBrush	B-Application
and	O
CAD	B-Application
models	I-Application
,	O
enabling	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
film-quality	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lumen	O
is	O
another	O
component	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
fully	O
dynamic	O
global	B-Algorithm
illumination	I-Algorithm
solution	O
that	O
immediately	O
reacts	O
to	O
scene	O
and	O
light	O
changes	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lumen	O
eliminates	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
artists	O
and	O
developers	O
to	O
craft	O
a	O
lightmap	B-Data_Structure
for	O
a	O
given	O
scene	O
,	O
but	O
instead	O
calculates	O
light	O
reflections	O
and	O
shadows	O
on	O
the	O
fly	O
,	O
thus	O
allowing	O
for	O
real-time	O
behavior	O
of	O
light	O
sources	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	O
Shadow	O
Maps	O
is	O
another	O
component	O
added	O
in	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
new	O
shadow	O
mapping	O
method	O
used	O
to	O
deliver	O
consistent	O
,	O
high-resolution	O
shadowing	O
that	O
works	O
with	O
film-quality	O
assets	O
and	O
large	O
,	O
dynamically	O
lit	O
open	O
worlds	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
potentially	O
tens	O
of	O
billions	O
of	O
polygons	O
present	O
on	O
a	O
single	O
screen	O
at	O
4K	B-Architecture
resolution	I-Architecture
,	O
Epic	O
also	O
developed	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
upcoming	O
high-speed	O
storage	O
solutions	O
with	O
the	O
next-generation	O
console	B-Device
hardware	O
that	O
will	O
use	O
a	O
mix	O
of	O
RAM	O
and	O
custom	O
solid-state	B-Device
drives	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
had	O
worked	O
closely	O
with	O
Sony	O
in	O
optimizing	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
with	O
Epic	O
collaborating	O
with	O
Sony	O
on	O
the	O
console	B-Device
's	O
storage	O
architecture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
demonstrate	O
the	O
ease	O
of	O
creating	O
a	O
detailed	O
world	O
with	O
minimal	O
effort	O
,	O
the	O
May	O
2020	O
reveal	O
of	O
the	O
engine	O
showcased	O
a	O
demo	O
called	O
"	O
Lumen	O
in	O
the	O
Land	O
of	O
Nanite	O
"	O
running	O
on	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
that	O
was	O
built	O
mostly	O
by	O
pulling	O
assets	O
from	O
the	O
Quixel	O
library	O
and	O
using	O
the	O
Nanite	O
,	O
Lumen	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
components	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
photorealistic	B-Application
cave	O
setting	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
explored	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
affirmed	O
that	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
would	O
be	O
fully	O
supported	O
on	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X	I-Device
as	O
well	O
,	O
but	O
had	O
been	O
focused	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
during	O
the	O
announcement	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
their	O
work	O
with	O
Sony	O
in	O
the	O
years	O
prior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
plans	O
to	O
use	O
Fortnite	B-Application
as	O
a	O
testbed	O
for	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
to	O
showcase	O
what	O
the	O
engine	O
can	O
do	O
to	O
the	O
industry	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
brought	O
to	O
use	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
in	O
December	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fortnite'''s	O
Battle	B-Application
Royale	I-Application
mode	I-Application
received	O
visual	O
improvements	O
via	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5.1	O
with	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Chapter	O
4	O
on	O
December	O
4th	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ninja	O
Theory	O
's	O
Senua	O
's	O
Saga	O
:	O
Hellblade	O
II	O
will	O
also	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
to	O
use	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Device
Matrix	I-Device
Awakens	I-Device
,	O
a	O
tie-in	O
experience	O
ahead	O
of	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
The	O
Matrix	O
Resurrections	O
,	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Epic	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
further	O
demonstration	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
along	O
with	O
other	O
technology	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
acquired	O
over	O
2020	O
and	O
2021	O
,	O
including	O
their	O
MetaHuman	O
Creator	O
developed	O
and	O
integrated	O
into	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
with	O
technology	O
from	O
3Lateral	O
,	O
Cubic	O
Motion	O
,	O
and	O
Quixel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
features	O
planned	O
for	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
come	O
from	O
Epic	O
's	O
acquisitions	O
and	O
partnerships	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
MetaHuman	O
Creator	O
is	O
a	O
project	O
based	O
on	O
technology	O
from	O
three	O
companies	O
acquired	O
by	O
Epic	O
—	O
3Lateral	O
,	O
Cubic	O
Motion	O
,	O
and	O
Quixel	O
—	O
to	O
allow	O
developers	O
to	O
quickly	O
create	O
realistic	O
human	O
characters	O
that	O
can	O
then	O
be	O
exported	O
for	O
use	O
within	O
Unreal	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
partnership	O
with	O
Cesium	O
,	O
Epic	O
plans	O
to	O
offer	O
a	O
free	O
plugin	O
to	O
provide	O
3D	O
geospatial	B-General_Concept
data	O
for	O
Unreal	B-Application
users	O
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
recreate	O
any	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
mapped	O
surface	O
of	O
Earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
will	O
include	O
RealityCapture	O
,	O
a	O
product	O
it	O
acquired	O
with	O
its	O
acquisition	O
of	O
Capturing	O
Reality	O
that	O
can	O
generate	O
3D	O
models	O
of	O
any	O
object	O
from	O
a	O
collection	O
of	O
photographs	O
taken	O
of	O
it	O
from	O
multiple	O
angles	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
various	O
middleware	B-General_Concept
tools	O
offered	O
by	O
Epic	B-Algorithm
Game	I-Algorithm
Tools	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
will	O
retain	O
the	O
current	O
royalty	O
model	O
,	O
with	O
developers	O
returning	O
5%	O
of	O
gross	O
revenues	O
to	O
Epic	O
Games	O
,	O
though	O
this	O
fee	O
is	O
waived	O
for	O
those	O
that	O
release	O
their	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
,	O
Epic	O
announced	O
alongside	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
5	O
that	O
they	O
will	O
not	O
take	O
any	O
fee	O
from	O
games	O
using	O
any	O
version	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
gross	O
revenue	O
,	O
retroactive	O
to	O
January	O
1	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
UnrealScript	O
(	O
often	O
abbreviated	O
to	O
UScript	O
)	O
was	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
's	O
native	O
scripting	B-Language
language	I-Language
used	O
for	O
authoring	O
game	O
code	O
and	O
gameplay	O
events	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
language	O
was	O
designed	O
for	O
simple	O
,	O
high-level	B-Language
game	O
programming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
UnrealScript	O
was	O
programmed	O
by	O
Sweeney	O
,	O
who	O
also	O
created	O
an	O
earlier	O
game	O
scripting	B-Language
language	I-Language
,	O
ZZT-OOP	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deus	B-Application
Ex	I-Application
lead	O
programmer	O
Chris	O
Norden	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
super	O
flexible	O
"	O
but	O
noted	O
its	O
low	O
execution	O
speed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
Java	B-Language
,	O
UnrealScript	O
was	O
object-oriented	B-Language
without	O
multiple	B-Application
inheritance	I-Application
(	O
classes	O
all	O
inherit	O
from	O
a	O
common	O
Object	O
class	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
classes	O
were	O
defined	O
in	O
individual	O
files	O
named	O
for	O
the	O
class	O
they	O
define	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Java	B-Language
,	O
UnrealScript	O
did	O
not	O
have	O
object	O
wrappers	O
for	O
primitive	O
types	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interfaces	O
were	O
only	O
supported	O
in	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
generation	O
3	O
and	O
a	O
few	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
2	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
UnrealScript	O
supported	O
operator	O
overloading	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
method	B-Language
overloading	I-Language
,	O
except	O
for	O
optional	O
parameters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
2012	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
,	O
Epic	O
announced	O
that	O
UnrealScript	O
was	O
being	O
removed	O
from	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
C++	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Visual	B-Language
scripting	I-Language
would	O
be	O
supported	O
by	O
the	O
Blueprints	O
Visual	B-Language
Scripting	I-Language
system	O
,	O
a	O
replacement	O
for	O
the	O
earlier	O
Kismet	O
visual	B-Language
scripting	I-Language
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Verse	O
is	O
the	O
new	O
scripting	B-Language
language	I-Language
for	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
,	O
first	O
implemented	O
in	O
Fortnite	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simon	O
Peyton	O
Jones	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
contributions	O
to	O
the	O
Haskell	B-Language
programming	I-Language
language	I-Language
,	O
joined	O
Epic	O
Games	O
in	O
December	O
2021	O
as	O
Engineering	O
Fellow	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
Verse	O
with	O
his	O
long-time	O
colleague	O
Lennart	O
Augustsson	O
and	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conceived	O
by	O
Sweeney	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
officially	O
presented	O
at	O
Haskell	B-Language
eXchange	O
in	O
December	O
2022	O
as	O
an	O
open	O
source	O
functional-logic	B-Application
language	O
for	O
the	O
metaverse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
research	O
paper	O
,	O
titled	O
The	O
Verse	O
Calculus	O
:	O
a	O
Core	O
Calculus	O
for	O
Functional	B-Application
Logic	I-Application
Programming	I-Application
,	O
was	O
also	O
published	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
language	O
was	O
eventually	O
launched	O
in	O
March	O
2023	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Editor	O
for	O
Fortnite	B-Application
(	O
UEFN	O
)	O
at	O
the	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
,	O
with	O
plans	O
to	O
be	O
available	O
to	O
all	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
users	O
by	O
2025	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
4	O
,	O
Epic	O
opened	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
Marketplace	O
in	O
September	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
content	O
is	O
provided	O
for	O
free	O
by	O
Epic	O
,	O
including	O
previously	O
offered	O
Unreal	B-Application
assets	O
and	O
tutorials	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
July	O
2018	O
,	O
Epic	O
took	O
a	O
30%	O
share	O
of	O
the	O
sales	O
but	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
and	O
Fortnite	B-Application
Battle	I-Application
Royale	I-Application
,	O
Epic	O
retroactively	O
reduced	O
its	O
take	O
to	O
12%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
was	O
originally	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
as	O
the	O
underlying	O
technology	O
for	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
engine	O
is	O
used	O
in	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
high-profile	O
game	O
titles	O
with	O
high	O
graphics	O
capabilities	O
,	O
including	O
PlayerUnknown	B-Application
's	I-Application
Battlegrounds	I-Application
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Remake	I-Application
,	O
Valorant	B-Application
and	O
Yoshi	B-Device
’s	I-Device
Crafted	I-Device
World	I-Device
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
games	O
developed	O
by	O
Epic	O
,	O
including	O
Gears	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
and	O
Fortnite	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
CD	O
Projekt	O
is	O
also	O
set	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
engine	O
after	O
retiring	O
REDengine	O
,	O
their	O
in-house	O
engine	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
from	O
the	O
Polish	O
firm	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
engine	O
being	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Witcher	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
has	O
found	O
use	O
in	O
film	O
making	O
to	O
create	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
sets	I-General_Concept
that	O
can	O
track	O
with	O
a	O
camera	O
's	O
motion	O
around	O
actors	O
and	O
objects	O
and	O
be	O
rendered	O
in	O
real	O
time	O
to	O
large	O
LED	O
screens	O
and	O
atmospheric	O
lighting	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
allows	O
for	O
real-time	O
composition	O
of	O
shots	O
,	O
immediate	O
editing	O
of	O
the	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
sets	I-General_Concept
as	O
needed	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
shoot	O
multiple	O
scenes	O
within	O
a	O
short	O
period	O
by	O
just	O
changing	O
the	O
virtual	O
world	O
behind	O
the	O
actors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
show	O
had	O
already	O
looked	O
at	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
sets	I-General_Concept
before	O
and	O
had	O
some	O
technology	O
established	O
,	O
but	O
integrated	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
as	O
with	O
StageCraft	O
for	O
its	O
third	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Orca	O
Studios	O
,	O
a	O
Spanish-based	O
company	O
,	O
has	O
been	O
working	O
with	O
Epic	O
to	O
establish	O
multiple	O
studios	O
for	O
virtual	O
filming	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
StageCraft	O
approach	O
with	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
providing	O
the	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
sets	I-General_Concept
,	O
particularly	O
during	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
,	O
which	O
restricted	O
travel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2021	O
,	O
Deadline	O
Hollywood	O
announced	O
that	O
Epic	O
was	O
using	O
part	O
of	O
its	O
Epic	O
MegaGrants	O
to	O
back	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
an	O
animated	O
feature	O
film	O
,	O
Gilgamesh	O
,	O
to	O
be	O
produced	O
fully	O
in	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
by	O
animation	O
studios	O
Hook	O
Up	O
,	O
DuermeVela	O
and	O
FilmSharks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
an	O
extension	O
of	O
its	O
MegaGrants	O
,	O
Epic	O
also	O
funded	O
45	O
additional	O
projects	O
since	O
around	O
2020	O
for	O
making	O
movies	O
and	O
short	O
films	O
in	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
October	O
2022	O
,	O
Epic	O
was	O
working	O
with	O
several	O
different	O
groups	O
at	O
over	O
300	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
sets	I-General_Concept
across	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
used	O
by	O
non-creative	O
fields	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
availability	O
and	O
feature	O
sets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
been	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
basis	O
for	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
tool	O
to	O
explore	O
pharmaceutical	O
drug	O
molecules	O
in	O
collaboration	O
with	O
other	O
researchers	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
virtual	O
environment	O
to	O
explore	O
and	O
design	O
new	O
buildings	O
and	O
automobiles	O
,	O
and	O
used	O
for	O
cable	O
news	O
networks	O
to	O
support	O
real-time	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2012	O
,	O
Epic	O
Games	O
announced	O
a	O
partnership	O
with	O
Virtual	O
Heroes	O
of	O
Applied	O
Research	O
Associates	O
to	O
launch	O
Unreal	B-Application
Government	O
Network	O
,	O
a	O
program	O
that	O
handles	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
licenses	O
for	O
government	O
agencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
state	O
of	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
came	O
up	O
in	O
Epic	O
's	O
2020	O
legal	O
action	O
against	O
Apple	O
Inc	O
.	O
claiming	O
anticompetitive	O
behavior	O
in	O
Apple	O
's	O
iOS	B-Application
App	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Epic	O
had	O
uploaded	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
Fortnite	B-Application
that	O
violated	O
Apple	O
's	O
App	O
Store	O
allowances	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
,	O
in	O
response	O
,	O
removed	O
the	O
Fortnite''	O
app	O
and	O
later	O
threatened	O
to	O
terminate	O
Epic	O
's	O
developer	O
accounts	O
which	O
would	O
have	O
prevented	O
Epic	O
from	O
updating	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
macOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
court	O
agreed	O
to	O
grant	O
Epic	O
a	O
permanent	O
injunction	O
against	O
Apple	O
to	O
prevent	O
Apple	O
from	O
taking	O
this	O
step	O
,	O
since	O
the	O
court	O
agreed	O
that	O
would	O
impact	O
numerous	O
third-party	O
developers	O
that	O
rely	O
on	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Engine	O
.	O
</s>
