It’s been almost two years since Epic announced their newly improved game engine (UE5). It can now be downloaded allowing developers to access range of technological features for rendering real-time worlds in high-fidelity detail.

This latest advancement features a number of technological developments and tools for diversion to make it easier for teams to work on areas independently. Altogether, these tools help build large-scale games at a high fidelity. To create gaming experiences with larger geometric detail, Epic introduces Lumen – “a fully dynamic global illumination solution” for more true-to-life lighting” for more photorealistic visuals.

A few projects have made use of the new UE5 engine – one being Fortnite which moving over to Unreal 5, as well as The Matrix Awakens. Alongside this launch, a sample of The Matrix Awakens’ city is being made and also a starting point for developers to build from. Crystal Dynamics has also announced the new Tomb Raider game to be built using Unreal Engine 5. 

Outside the sphere of gaming, Unreal has risen in popularity for film and television applications. Epic CTO Kim Libreri says in the past, creators would build “movie quality assets” that would then have to be scaled down to be used in a game. Now those lines are starting to blur, opening up all kinds of possibilities. Libreri believes there will be more of a cross over between different forms of expressions and mediums for the future.

For more, check out the full Unreal Engine 5 announcement and its upcoming projects.