Unreal Fest Seattle 2024, held from September 30 to October 3, brought together developers, creators, and industry leaders from across the globe to showcase the latest innovations in Unreal Engine (UE) technology. With over 850,000 developers using Unreal Engine every month, this event provided a platform to highlight the evolution of real-time 3D development, pushing the boundaries of interactive entertainment, film production, and various other industries. The excitement surrounding Unreal Engine’s future was palpable, and the announcements made at the fest promise to have a lasting impact on developers and creators alike.

Key Announcements: Lower Royalty Rates and Unreal Engine 5.5 Preview

The headline announcement at this year’s fest was Epic Games’ new “Launce Everywhere with Epic” program, set to launch on January 1, 2025. Designed to address the increasing pressures on developers in the gaming industry, the program offers a royalty reduction from 5% to 3.5% for Unreal Engine games that debut on the Epic Games Store. This initiative applies across all platforms—PC consoles, and mobile—allowing developers to save on costs while still reaching a broad audience. This royalty rate reduction is a game-changer for indie developers and large studios alike, giving them a financial boost while encouraging wider adoption for the Epic Games Store.

In addition to the more developer-friendly terms, Unreal Engine 5.5 Preview 1 is now available, providing creators with cutting-edge tools to push the limits of high-fidelity 3D experiences. Unreal Engine 5.5’s new features include MegaLights, which allows users to incorporate far more dynamic lights with realistic shadows and volumetric fog than ever before. Another standout feature is the expanded use of Nanite—Epic’s virtualized geometry technology–to support Skeletal Meshes for character animations, an innovation sure to benefit both game and film production. 

For virtual production, Unreal Engine 5.5 continues to excel with enhancements to tools like the Path Tracer, now production-ready and already making waves in feature films. The demo of BMW’s 5-Series digital twin illustrated the engine’s power in rendering lifelike details, powered by UE’s advanced Substrate material authoring system. 

Expanding Capabilities Beyond Gaming 

While Unreal Engine remains synonymous with video game development, its versatility has taken far beyond the gaming industry. At Unreal Fest, Tim Miller and Wes Ball, celebrated filmmakers, discussed how real-time technology is revolutionizing film production. From the production of Love, Death + Robots, to the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, real-time rendering and virtual production are transforming how directors bring their creative visions to life. 

Likewise, Magnopus CEO Ben Grossman highlighted Unreal’s role in creating virtual experiences for global music icons like Metallica and Karol G, using Unreal Engine to blur the lines between digital and physical realities. Unreal’s ability to create immersive experiences is being adopted across industries, from automotive to architecture. 

Unreal Engine in Real Estate: NOVAVERSE’s Hyper-Real 4D Digital Twins 

One of the most fascinating uses of Unreal Engine’s technology is in the world of real estate. As developers seek more innovative ways to present properties, NOVAVERSE is leading the charge by harnessing Unreal Engine to create hyper-real 4D digital twins. These twins are fully interactive and visually stunning representations of real-world environments, allowing property developers, brokers, and architects to explore, plan, and showcase their projects, built and unbuilt, in was that were previously unimaginable. 

NOVAVERESE’s digital twins go beyond traditional 3D models by offering real-time interactivity, light simulation, and highly detailed textures that can mimic a fully built environment. Using Unreal’s state-of-the-art rendering technology, developers can seamlessly present their vision to potential buyers and investors. The 4D aspect allows for the visualization of changes over time—whether that’s the natural aging of materials or the impact of seasonal weather on a property.

This new approach is transforming how real estate professionals operate. Clients can now walk through buildings long before they are physically constructed, make design decisions, and gain a much deeper understanding of how a space will feel once completed. For architects, Unreal Engine’s ability to import complex CAD models via Datasmith and visualize them in lifelike quality is invaluable in the design process.

The Future of Unreal Engine Across Industries

As Unreal Engine continues to evolve, its applications are reaching new horizons. Whether it’s creating immersive virtual worlds for gamers, producing high-fidelity films, or revolutionizing the real estate industry, the engine’s influence is growing across the globe. With new developments like Unreal Engine 5.5 and more accessible terms for developers, Epic Games is setting the stage for Unreal Engine to become the go-to platform for interactive and immersive experiences across every industry.

In the world of real estate, NOVAVERESE’s pioneering work with Unreal Engine digital twins demonstrates the immense potential for this technology to redefine how we engage with the built environment. As more industries recognize the power of Unreal Engine, we can expect it to continue shaping the future of both digital and physical worlds.

For now, the real excitement lies in how Unreal’s relentless innovation will continue to push the envelope and bring new possibilities to light. 

To learn more about Unreal Fest Seattle 2024 visit Unreal Engine's official website. 

To watch the full opening session for the fest click here.

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