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Epic Games
Epic Games is shipping Unreal Engine 6 announcements and Unreal Engine 5.8 updates while expanding Unreal Fest Tokyo 2026, and it sold ArtStation and Sketchfab to KitBash to concentrate on the engine, Fortnite, the developer ecosystem, and the Epic Games Store.
Synthesized from 17
Yomimono stories · updated
1d ago
Epic Games spent 2026 moving its engine line forward on two tracks. Unreal Engine 5.8 was released with Live Link Hub now official, plus Mesh Terrain, MetaHuman Collection for crowds, and MegaLight for dynamic lighting. Unreal Engine 6 was announced on May 24, 2026, during the Rocket League Paris Major, with a new programming language called Verse and multi-threading optimizations aimed at CPU bottlenecks. Rocket League is the first confirmed title to adopt it. Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney and engine lead Marcus Wassmer said UE6 has an open specification for interoperability, letting assets move between engines such as Unity and Godot, with AI integration via the Model Context Protocol and no lock-in to a specific language model.
Tooling expanded alongside the engines. Epic released Lore, an open-source version control system under the MIT license, used internally as Unreal Revision Control in Unreal Editor for Fortnite. City Sample was updated to version 5.8 with two new levels built on Procedural Content Generation, replacing the original Houdini-based city generation, plus Unreal MCP support. Epic Games Japan software engineer Kazuhisa Minato described how UE5.8's MCP support lets a local LLM agent operate Unreal Editor live. Unreal Fest 2026 in Chicago ran June 16 to 18, where Chalk Warfare showed CNN-based object recognition tied to Unreal Engine 6's Verse-based technology.
The company also shed parts of its creator portfolio. On August 11 Epic announced it is selling ArtStation and Sketchfab to KitBash, with users keeping access and IP rights. Epic said it will focus on Unreal Engine 6, Fortnite, the developer ecosystem, and the Epic Games Store. Separately, Epic filed a motion for a consent judgment and permanent injunction against former associate producer Hayden Cohen over Fortnite leaks, pending court approval.
Key facts
- Unreal Engine 6 announced
- Announced on May 24, 2026, during the Rocket League Paris Major, with Verse and multi-threading optimizations; Rocket League is the first confirmed title to adopt it ↗
- Unreal Engine 5.8 release
- Live Link Hub becomes official; adds Mesh Terrain, MetaHuman Collection for crowds, and MegaLight for dynamic lighting ↗
- Lore version control
- Released open-source under the MIT license; used internally as Unreal Revision Control in Unreal Editor for Fortnite; the current release is pre-stable ↗
- City Sample update
- Updated to version 5.8 on August 28 with two new PCG-based levels replacing the original Houdini-based city generation, plus Unreal MCP support and the CitySamplePCG_Demo plugin ↗
- ArtStation and Sketchfab sale
- Epic announced on August 11 it is selling both to KitBash, with users keeping access and IP rights ↗
- Fortnite leaks settlement
- Epic filed a motion for a consent judgment and permanent injunction against former associate producer Hayden Cohen, pending court approval ↗
- Unreal Fest Tokyo 2026
- Set for November 3 and 4 at the TFT Building West Hall in Ariake, Tokyo; CEO Tim Sweeney and Takayuki Kawasaki share the keynote covering the Epic ecosystem and the rollout of UE6; more than 30 sessions planned; participation is free ↗
- Black Clover Fortnite crossover
- Asta, Yuno, and Noelle are available as Fortnite Battle Royale cosmetic skins for Fortnitemares, with grimoire back bling, sword and wand pickaxes, an Anti-Magic weapon wrap, and a Nissan GT-R Nismo car body with two Anti-Magic tires ↗
- Vampire Survivors collaboration status
- poncle posted on Reddit that it was reviewing the Fortnite partnership announced during the State of Unreal 2026 keynote, citing Epic's use of generative AI for game assets ↗
- UE6 interoperability
- Tim Sweeney and Marcus Wassmer detailed an open specification allowing assets such as character cosmetics to move between engines including Unity and Godot, with AI integration via Model Context Protocol and no lock-in to a specific language model ↗
Timeline
- Oct 5, 2026 Black Clover Skins Join Fortnite for Fortnitemares Event
- Sep 15, 2026 DeNA Hosts Game Developers Meeting Vol.66 On September 25
- Sep 15, 2026 Epic Games Sets Unreal Fest Tokyo 2026 Keynote With Tim Sweeney
- Sep 14, 2026 Epic Engineer Details How LLM Agents Drive Unreal Engine 5.8 Through MCP
- Aug 29, 2026 Epic Overhauls UE5 City Sample, Adds PCG Levels and LLM Control
- Aug 18, 2026 Unreal Fest Tokyo 2026 Set for November 3-4 in Ariake
- Aug 11, 2026 Epic Games Sells ArtStation and Sketchfab to KitBash
- Aug 2, 2026 Sandfall Interactive Keeps Small Team for Next Project
- Jul 6, 2026 Epic Games Reaches Settlement With Former Employee Over Fortnite Leaks
- Jul 4, 2026 Unreal Fest 2026 Showcases Indie Title Chalk Warfare With Drawing-Based Combat
- Jul 1, 2026 Tim Sweeney Says Steam's High Fees Keep Free-To-Play Games Away, Critics Push Back
- Jun 25, 2026 Unreal Engine 6 Targets Open Interoperability Across Game Engines
- Jun 23, 2026 Epic Games Releases Unreal Engine 5.8 With Live Link Hub Now Official
- Jun 22, 2026 Sjoerd De Jong Leaves Epic Games After 27 Years With Unreal Engine
- Jun 18, 2026 Epic Games Releases Open-Source Version Control System Lore
- Jun 18, 2026 Vampire Survivors Developer Reconsiders Fortnite Collab Over Epic AI Push
- May 31, 2026 Epic Games Unveils Unreal Engine 6 at Rocket League Paris Major
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Announced
- development of the unannounced shooter will adopt an AI-first setup · 2026-10-13
- Announced
- keynote speakers and first sessions for Unreal Fest Tokyo 2026 (Unreal Fest Tokyo 2026) · 2026-09-15
- Announced
- selling ArtStation and Sketchfab to KitBash · 2026-08-11
- Announced
- Unreal Engine 6's open specification for interoperability · 2026-06-25
- Announced
- AI integration via the Model Context Protocol · 2026-06-25
- Announced
- shifting from a proprietary engine model to an open ecosystem · 2026-06-25
- Noted
- Epic will focus on Unreal Engine 6, Fortnite, the developer ecosystem, and the Epic Games Store. · 2026-08-11
- Noted
- filed a motion for a consent judgment and permanent injunction against former associate producer Hayden Cohen · 2026-07-06
Connections
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Claim activity
When a claim about Epic Games was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed Epic Games produces Fortnite Battle Royale Oct 5 · source
- Confirmed shifting from a proprietary engine model to an open ecosystem Sep 10 · source
- Confirmed AI integration via the Model Context Protocol Sep 10 · source
- Confirmed Unreal Engine 6's open specification for interoperability Sep 10 · source
- Confirmed Epic Games produces Fortnite Sep 1 · source
- Confirmed Epic Games produces Unreal Engine 6 Jun 13 · source
All coverage
1d ago
Epic Games has told developers on its unannounced Disney collaboration shooter to adopt an AI-first production setup, according to a Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier citing people familiar with the project. The game, which features Marvel and Star Wars characters, was scheduled for March 2027 and has been delayed with no new date announced. Internal messages reviewed by Bloomberg included a director's instruction of "No more hand-written code" and a directive that all in-game art be generated through a complete AI workflow using tools such as Anthropic's Claude, with humans managing and directing the output. The policy was conveyed in a video conference, and some developers were left stunned. Epic Games communications director Jake Jones told Bloomberg the company is embracing AI-accelerated development, with Epic's developers leading the way and setting the vision.
5d ago
Epic Games is giving away two PC titles on the Epic Games Store until October 16, 2026 at 0:00. Out of Sight is a horror adventure that mixes first-person and second-person perspectives, following Sophie, a girl who has just regained her sight, as she escapes a danger-filled mansion. TerraScape is a city-building puzzle game set on floating islands, with no resource management or combat, built around placing buildings for points.
Oct 5
Epic Games announced on Saturday that Black Clover characters Asta, Yuno, and Noelle are available as cosmetic skins in Fortnite Battle Royale for the annual Fortnitemares event. The items include grimoire back bling, sword and wand pickaxes, an Anti-Magic weapon wrap, and a Nissan GT-R Nismo car body with two Anti-Magic tires. Epic teased the collaboration in its Fortnitemares trailer on September 29. The new Black Clover season premiered the same Saturday, with Studio Pierrot returning.
Sep 15
DeNA will hold its game developer study session Game Developers Meeting Vol.66 on Friday, September 25, 2026, with Kenjiro Kuwano of Epic Games Japan as speaker. The theme covers Unreal Engine mobile development: balancing graphics and performance, asset download and delivery for releases and live operations, and an overview of Lore, the version control system Epic Games is developing. The event is free and in person only, with a networking party after the sessions.
Sep 15
Epic Games Japan announced the keynote speakers and first sessions for Unreal Fest Tokyo 2026, set for November 3 and 4 at the TFT Building West Hall in Ariake, Tokyo. CEO Tim Sweeney and Epic Games Japan representative Takayuki Kawasaki will share the keynote, covering the Epic ecosystem, the company's vision, and the rollout of UE6. More than 30 sessions are planned. Participation is free.
Sep 14
At Game Makers Scramble 2026, Epic Games Japan software engineer Kazuhisa Minato gave a talk on UE5.8's MCP support, which lets a local LLM agent operate Unreal Editor live. He covered setup and extension methods and described building a game in two days. Unreal MCP is free and ships as a plugin for the MCP server in Unreal Editor, with toolset plugins providing domain-specific MCP tools and built-in skills.
Aug 29
Epic Games updated the Unreal Engine 5 sample project City Sample to version 5.8 on August 28. The overhaul, the first large-scale renewal in four years, adds two new levels built entirely on the engine's Procedural Content Generation (PCG) feature, replacing the original Houdini-based city generation. The update also includes support for Unreal MCP and the CitySamplePCG_Demo plugin, which was shown during the State of Unreal 2026 keynote at Unreal Fest Chicago 2026.
Aug 18
Epic Games Japan announced on August 18 that it will hold Unreal Fest Tokyo 2026 on November 3 and 4 at the TFT Building West Wing (TFT Hall) in Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo. The event is the Japanese edition of Epic Games' official developer conference, where creators and developers from game development, video, film, automotive, architecture, manufacturing, and simulation gather to learn about Unreal Engine and Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) technologies and use cases, and to network. Participation in the main event is free, with a first-come, first-served capacity limit. The November 4 schedule includes the official networking party "Unreal Fest Closing Party," which requires a separate ticket priced at 7,700 yen including tax. Registration for participation opened the same day, August 18. Speaker and session details are scheduled to be announced sequentially from around September. The event will also feature an exhibition area, an indie game corner, and "Unreal Hub," a community space where attendees can interact directly with speakers. As in the previous year, applications are being accepted for satellite venues that will broadcast the event live for those who cannot attend in person.
Aug 11
Epic Games announced on August 11 that it is selling ArtStation and Sketchfab to KitBash, the company behind KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla. Epic will focus on Unreal Engine 6, Fortnite, the developer ecosystem, and the Epic Games Store. Users keep access and IP rights.
Aug 2
Sandfall Interactive, the French studio behind the turn-based RPG "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33," stated at a postmortem event in Yokohama on July 26 that it will not expand its team despite the game's success. CEO Guillaume Broche said that creativity comes from the constraints of being small, and that knowing you cannot do everything creates the necessity to focus on what is important. The studio currently has about 26 people, and Broche wants to maintain that scale for the next project, aiming to tackle something "a bit crazy." The event, co-hosted by Epic Games Japan, also included a roundtable with developers from Atlus and Tango Gameworks. Broche described the team's achievement as "a reproducible model," not a miracle, thanks to the right people and tools like Unreal Engine and MetaHuman. The game, released in 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, sold 1 million copies in three days and 5 million by October 2025, and won Game of the Year at multiple major awards, including The Game Awards 2025 and the BAFTA Game Awards 2026. Despite this, Broche said the ideal is a scale where everyone knows each other's faces and names.
Jul 6
Epic Games has filed a motion for a consent judgment and permanent injunction against former associate producer Hayden Cohen, who was sued for leaking Fortnite confidential information, including details about a South Park collaboration. The settlement permanently prohibits Cohen from accessing or disclosing Epic's trade secrets, pending court approval.
Jul 4
Epic Games held Unreal Fest 2026 in Chicago from June 16 to 18, where the next-generation Unreal Engine 6 was announced. Among the indie games on display, SoKrispyMedia's Chalk Warfare stood out: a battle royale third-person shooter where players draw firearms with magic chalk, which the game's CNN-based AI then materializes into usable weapons with adjustable stats.
Jul 1
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney posted on July 1 that Steam's 30% base commission deters major free-to-play titles like Genshin Impact from launching there. He argued lower fees would attract those companies and increase Steam's revenue. Critics pointed to Epic's own layoffs and noted that many such games already exist on Steam.
Jun 25
In an exclusive interview at Unreal Fest 2026, Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney and engine lead Marcus Wassmer detailed Unreal Engine 6's open specification for interoperability, allowing assets like character cosmetics to move between engines such as Unity and Godot. They compared the vision to web browsers sharing standards and confirmed AI integration via the Model Context Protocol, with no lock-in to any specific language model.
Jun 23
Epic Games Japan announced the release of Unreal Engine 5.8, focusing on performance improvements and enhanced core functionality. The update strengthens world building, character and animation creation, virtual production, and real-time rendering. Live Link Hub becomes official, and new features include Mesh Terrain, MetaHuman Collection for crowds, and MegaLight for dynamic lighting.
Jun 22
Sjoerd De Jong, a 27-year veteran of Unreal Engine and 12-year Epic Games employee, announced his departure on June 19. Known as Hourences, he worked as a level designer, evangelist, and senior product director, and helped found the Epic Developer Community and restructure the Fab marketplace. He cited a turning point in the industry as a factor.
Jun 18
Epic Games has released Lore, an open-source version control system designed for game and entertainment production. It handles both source code and large binary files like images, audio, and 3D models. Lore is available under the MIT license and has been used internally as Unreal Revision Control in Unreal Editor for Fortnite. The current release is pre-stable, with APIs and protocols subject to change.
Jun 18
On June 17, Epic Games announced during its State of Unreal 2026 keynote that Fortnite would collaborate with several titles including Vampire Survivors, developed by poncle. Within hours, poncle posted on Reddit stating it was reviewing the partnership. The developer cited news that Epic Games is using generative AI to create game assets including Fortnite characters. A video published June 16 showed an internal tool called Gen Media being used in the art creation process, with prompt-typing visible. The State of Unreal presentation also emphasized generative AI features: Unreal Engine 5.8 added conversational AI support, and the planned Unreal Engine 6 will integrate AI agents like Claude and Codex for development tasks. Poncle has previously stated it would reject publishing games using generative AI or Web3 technology. The developer said it will inform if there are any developments, leaving the collaboration's fate uncertain.
May 31
Epic Games announced Unreal Engine 6 on May 24, 2026, during the Rocket League Paris Major. The engine features a new programming language called Verse and multi-threading optimizations aimed at eliminating CPU bottlenecks. Full details are expected at Unreal Fest Chicago 2026 in June. The first title confirmed to adopt the engine is Rocket League.