Game Devs Bet on Unreal Engine 5 but Warn of Risks from Lack of Competition
Unreal Engine 5 is slowly taking over more and more of the game industry. While this comes with convenience for developers, it undoubtedly also poses some risks.
Nowadays, an increasing number of developers are choosing to make games using Unreal Engine 5, developed by Epic Games. This applies not only to new studies but also to industry veterans who have been working with proprietary technologies for a long time. We can mention here CD Projekt RED or Halo Studios (formerly 343 industries).
It cannot be denied that there is a change that holds big importance for the entire industry, and it is associated with specific risks. During the Game Industry Conference (GIC), which took place parallel to PGA 2024, we had a chance to talk with some developers. On the GIC, Amnesty International also awarded This War of Mine and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Why Unreal Engine 5?
UE5's popularity is partly due to how well games developed on it can look. We probably all remember The Matrix Awakens demo, which could make jaws drop with its graphics. However, this isn't the only important feature. Equally important is also the convenience of use and a multitude of ready-made basic tools.
It certainly mattered that this engine was simply comfortable to work with. More comfortable than the competition - Aleksander Kauch, Senior Technology Lead at 11 bit studios.
This is a gigantic engine, which has the advantage of having a lot of prepared tools - Bartosz Szczypka, programmer at Techland studio.
A huge advantage is also the availability of Unreal Engine 5. Everyone can easily download it onto their own computer and learn how to use it by following tutorials on YouTube. Thanks to this, it is easier for companies to hire experts who already have some knowledge.
Potential risk
The problem created by the increasingly widespread use of UE5 is market monopoly. Epic Games will be able to dictate terms to developer studios if other engines are marginalized or disappear at some point.
I think the biggest problem would be lack of competition. If there is competition, someone wants to be better than the other in some way and pushes the company forward - Sebastian Topolski, Lead Programmer at Render Cube.
Another issue is the adaptation of UE5, which was originally created for FPS games and is now being developed for Fortnite. Because of this, it's harder to do something a bit more "crazy" on it. Furthermore, the engine provides some ready-made solutions, so the games developed on it can work similarly.