Unreal Engine 5.6 is Out Now, MetaHuman Creator Now Integrated With the Engine

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At the State of Unreal 2025 event, Epic Games unveiled the latest iteration of their Unreal Engine – the Unreal Engine 5.6. Although it’s not as significant an upgrade as Unreal Engine 5 was compared to version 4, the new release boasts several unique features all its own. Here’s a glimpse at some of the exciting new additions.

In their latest update, Epic has outlined a major objective for Unreal Engine: consistently delivering 60 frames per second (FPS) in open-world games that prioritize high graphical quality. As stated in the announcement, this level of performance is now attainable on all contemporary platforms, including computers, gaming consoles, and even mobile devices like smartphones.

On their website, Epic Games shared that with this new update, they aimed to equip you to construct high-quality, expansive open worlds capable of running at 60 frames per second on current-generation hardware. They’ve also significantly advanced the animation and rigging workflow within the engine, minimizing the need for back-and-forth between different software. Moreover, MetaHumans can now be fully designed within the engine itself, streamlining and optimizing the creative process.

In Unreal Engine 5.6, a notable feature unveiled is Hardware Ray Tracing, which enhances game performance when using Lumen Global Illumination. This new engine version effectively addresses potential CPU bottlenecks that may occur during the rendering of expansive, open-world landscapes.

In simpler terms, using Unreal Engine 5.6, developers can leverage the Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin to optimize game performance. This means that during game startup, static content is streamed more efficiently, leading to fewer performance issues for players. Essentially, this allows games to handle streaming in non-interactive, scenic objects more smoothly, resulting in a smoother overall gaming experience.

Animators can benefit from several modern engine features as well. For instance, they can now take advantage of an updated Tween Tools system, which provides them with more control over specific keyframes and nodes. This improvement is part of a series of upgrades that also includes the introduction of a Curve Editor toolbar, designed to aid in the manipulation of keyframes. Furthermore, new tools such as Lattice and Smart Key snapping have been added to assist animators even more effectively.

In version 5.6 of Unreal Engine, the MetaHuman Creator will seamlessly blend into the engine’s suite of tools. This tool enables developers to generate lifelike human characters that can be utilized throughout game development with Unreal Engine. Moreover, developers can capture live performances using many webcams and smartphones, which can then dynamically animate within the engine in real-time.

If you are a developer, whether an experienced one or just starting out, wondering about it – Unreal Engine 5.6 is accessible to you right now. To learn more about the innovative new aspects of Unreal Engine 5.6, such as its Hardware Ray Tracing capabilities, take a look at the video presentation below. Additionally, discover how the upcoming game, “The Witcher 4”, will leverage some of these exciting features.

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2025-06-03 18:12