Image: Square Enix
Unreal Engine 5 has just launched, but which studios are using the powerful new engine to make next-gen games?
During a recent State of Unreal stream, Epic Games announced that Unreal Engine 5 was now available for all developers to download and use. The new engine contains advanced features available for anyone who’d like to try making games - such as dynamic lighting features and an advanced geometry system. Epic is aiming to make Unreal Engine 5 its most accessible and powerful game engine yet, and major studios are already lining up to make full use of it.
Epic has released a full list of all the studios confirmed to be using Unreal Engine 5 to make their next games, which you can check out above. Here are the most notable studios of the bunch making games with Epic’s new engine:
The Coalition
The next Gears of War game is probably still a year or two away from being released, but it is likely being built using Unreal Engine 5 as we speak. Developer The Coalition released an impressive demo of the engine during Epic’s State of Unreal stream, showcasing its detailed geometry and lighting system. It also showed off a fully rendered character model with unnervingly photorealistic facial details. Gears 5 already looked incredible, so we can’t wait to see what The Coalition is working on next.
Crystal Dynamics
A new Tomb Raider game is coming! Crystal Dynamics, the developer behind the recent Tomb Raider trilogy and Marvel’s Avengers, has confirmed that the studio is already hard at work bringing Lara Croft’s next great adventure to life with Unreal Engine 5. This marks a big change for the studio, as it previously stuck to using its very own Foundation Engine for game development. Speaking of game developers switching engines…
CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt Red announced that it was making the next game in the Witcher saga, finally confirming that a sequel to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is indeed on its way. The studio has opted out of using its proprietary REDengine for this new game, which will instead be built using Unreal Engine 5. It looks like Epic’s new engine is making waves in the games industry already.
Ninja Theory
Ninja Theory (Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice) is using Unreal Engine 5 to power Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous sequel that takes Senua’s emotionally fraught journey to grim new places. If last year’s gameplay trailer is any indication, the new engine is delivering some incredibly impressive visual fidelity on next-gen consoles. Ninja Theory is also working on a horror game called Project Mara, which will likely use the same engine.
Arkane Studios
Arkane Studios’ next game is an open-world co-op multiplayer game that pits squads of players against bloodthirsty vampires. The developer is best known for making singleplayer games with intricate level design, such as Dishonored and Deathloop, so this multiplayer title marks unexplored territory for the developer - but we have faith it’ll work out! Redfall has also been confirmed to be playable either solo or in co-op, so you won’t have to play the game online if you don’t want to.
Game Science
Calling Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong a good-looking game seems like a massive understatement. The Journey to the West adaptation is an action-adventure game and from what we’ve seen in past trailers and previews, boasts gorgeous visuals, detailed environments and epic boss battles.
Square Enix
Square Enix probably has quite a few Unreal Engine 5 games in development, but the most exciting one we currently know of is Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. The next entry in the acclaimed RPG franchise will feature more open-ended gameplay, consequences to player choices, and much darker themes than past titles.
Epic Games
I mean, duh. Epic Games’ smash hit battle royale game Fortnite is the game to play if you’d like to see Unreal Engine 5 used to its fullest multiplayer potential. Fortnite has surprisingly good visuals despite its cartoonish art style, and newer seasons have seen huge live events, weather systems and even questing systems. Who knows what awaits Fortnite players next?
Studio Wildcard
Studio Wildcard is making a sequel to its hit multiplayer dinosaur survival game Ark using Unreal Engine 5. The sequel is getting a big push, with Vin Diesel starring in both the game and its anime spin-off, which is wonderfully bizarre. Ark 2 seems to place a heavier focus on its story, but we’ll have to wait on more information from the studio to see how the original game’s survival mechanics are getting expanded.
And many more!
Unreal Engine 5 is still in its infancy, but it's already one of the most accessible and powerful game engines available for developers to use right now. Many games currently using Unreal Engine 4 will likely be moved to Unreal Engine 5 before launch, given how streamlined Epic has made that migration process for developers. The future of gaming is pretty exciting, and this list only barely covers all the Unreal Engine 5 titles we're looking forward to. Still, we had to try.
