The engine is also how Epic builds its own games, including Fortnite and past major hits like Gears of War and Unreal Tournament. It’s currently used by dozens of game makers, Hollywood production and special effects studios, and other firms in the 3D rendering and computer graphics businesses. And as Epic and Apple settle in for years of legal warfare, those sorts of projects are likely to be disrupted too.ĭeveloped in 1998 alongside the first-person shooter Unreal, the Unreal Engine has become a cornerstone of Epic’s business and the gaming industry at large. The fate of the Unreal Engine is up in the airĪs Epic warned in a court motion last week, Apple’s moves against the Unreal Engine would threaten the software behind “hundreds of video games, the human brain, Baby Yoda, and space flight.” Projects like The Mandalorian may have no obvious connection to Epic Games and Fortnite, but they rely on the company and its tools to do their work.
