Stellar horse dynamics astound in the enchanting Unreal Engine 5.6 technical demonstration of Witcher 4.
Catching Up with the Game Development Community at Unreal Fest in Orlando
Creative Bloq is alive and kicking in Orlando, where we're soaking up all the latest deets on Unreal Engine's exciting updates. Today, we dive headfirst into the juicy details of the hotshot game development software in The State of Unreal 2025.
Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Unreal Engine 5.6 is officially here, and its impressive graphics and animation chops were out in full force in a jaw-dropping The Witcher 4 tech demo.
Curious about what's cookin' in this demo? Well, buckle up! The developers from The Witcher masterminds, CD Projekt Red, took us on a wild ride through a lush forest and bustling port marketplace known as Valdrest, all on a base PS5 at 60 frames per second with raytracing on 5.
The Witcher 4 tech demo illustrated Unreal Engine 5.6's versatility, from the intricacies of complex vegetation to the energy of busy crowd scenes. The Nanite Foliage geometry system in Unreal Engine 5.6 allows every leaf to be meticulously modeled for breathtaking detail 6. On the other side, improvements in character responsiveness showcased complex chain reactions, like the fluidity of character actions.
For the marketplace scenes, we were treated to the fruitful union of MetaHuman tools and the new Unreal animation framework, bringing the quality of the protagonist and NPCs closer together than ever 7. We even witnessed over 300 animated skeletal mesh agents on our screens at once, with improved Smart Objects ensuring a seamless experience.
But the real showstopper? That'd be the beautiful horse, Kelpie, whose movements were powered by Unreal's new multi-character motion matching. Without missing a beat, Ciri and the horse moved in sync during mounting at any angle and speed 8. Root motion and machine-learned deformations made Kelpie's movement feel almost like the real deal, and I can't help but hit replay!
Want to get your hands on Unreal Engine 5.6? Well, developers can start playin' today! As for The Witcher 4, we're still in the dark about its release date. But the trailer flashed across our screens at the Game Awards 2024 back in December 9. We've known since 2022 that the game switched to UE5, and it appears that the troublesome launch of Cyberpunk 2077 spurred the change 10.
Before we let you go, have you heard that Photoshop for Android is now available? Yes, you read that right—Photoshop is on your mobile device 11. Now, go out there and create!
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- The State of Unreal 2025 reveals the latest updates on the popular Unreal Engine, showcasing its design and layout capabilities.
- Unreal Engine 5.6, with its impressive color and animation features, has been officially released, as demonstrated by the jaw-dropping Witcher 4 tech demo.
- In the Valdrest demo, Unreal Engine 5.6 displayed its versatility, from rendering complex vegetation to creating energetic crowd scenes, with Nanite Foliage allowing for meticulous leaf modeling.
- The Union of MetaHuman tools and the new Unreal animation framework brings the quality of characters closer than ever, as shown by the over 300 animated characters in the marketplace scenes.
- The horse, Kelpie, in the Witcher 4 tech demo showcased the strength of Unreal's new multi-character motion matching technology.
- Root motion and machine-learned deformations made Kelpie's movement feel almost realistic, and watching it was a treat that led me to hit replay.
- Developers can start working with Unreal Engine 5.6 today, but the release date for The Witcher 4 remains unknown, with its debut teased at the Game Awards 2024.
- Following the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 4 switched to Unreal Engine 5 in 2022.
- Adobe's Photoshop, now available on Android devices, has made its way onto your mobile gadgets, inviting you to delve deeper into the world of art and creative design.
- Stay connected with the latest design trends, insightful tips, and more by signing up for the Creative Bloq newsletter and joining the creative revolution.
