The State of Unreal event from GDC in San Francisco showcased what’s coming up in Unreal Engine, specifically the 5.4 update. Epic Games revealed new developments in the Epic App Store and the world of Fortnite, including its UGC spin-offs.
The highlight for mobile was Epic’s announcement of launching the Epic App Store on iOS and Android later this year. The company seems to have navigated the necessary confirmations from Apple and Google, promising a selection of third-party partners on both platforms.
Steve Allison, general manager of the Epic Games Store, made the announcement at the event, which was hosted by the Epic Games CTO Kim Liberi. Tim Sweeney, the Epic CEO, was absent, fighting for fairness for developers in Australia.
Amy Hennig, known for her work on Uncharted and 1943: Rise of Hydra, showcased the capabilities of Unreal 5.4 in creating detailed landscapes and textures. The engine demonstrated realistic snow, mud rifts, water effects, and dynamic lighting.
Unreal Engine’s cross-platform capabilities were emphasized, with the potential to create high-quality games across various platforms like iOS and Android. A demo of Star Wars Hunters, a cross-platform arena shooter, showcased impressive visuals and gameplay.
Epic also highlighted features for Fortnite developers, enabling more complex user-generated content. The presentation aimed to position Epic as a developer-friendly company, committed to empowering creators and offering greater revenue shares.
