Unreal Engine 6 Wants to Make One Giant Metaverse with All the Games

Epic Games' Ambitious Metaverse Vision: Unreal Engine 6 and Interoperability

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has outlined an ambitious plan to create a unified metaverse using Unreal Engine 6. This vision involves connecting various game ecosystems, fostering interoperability between titles built on the Unreal Engine, such as Fortnite and potentially Roblox and others.

A Collaborative Metaverse Ecosystem

Sweeney, in an interview with The Verge, emphasized the creation of an interconnected metaverse with a shared economy. This would allow assets and experiences to seamlessly transition between games, enhancing player engagement and trust in digital purchases. Epic's substantial financial backing positions them to pursue this long-term goal.

Unreal Engine 6: The Foundation for Interoperability

The core of this vision is Unreal Engine 6, described as a powerful yet user-friendly engine. It will integrate the capabilities of the high-end Unreal Engine with the ease of use found in the Unreal Editor for Fortnite. This development, expected to take several years, aims to allow developers to create content once and deploy it across multiple platforms.

This "build once, deploy anywhere" philosophy directly supports the interoperable metaverse concept. Sweeney cited a partnership with Disney as an example of this interoperability in action, highlighting the potential for collaboration with other major game developers and platforms. While discussions with Roblox and Microsoft haven't begun, Sweeney anticipates future collaborations.

A Shared Economy and Increased Player Engagement

The proposed model focuses on a shared economy, where digital purchases retain value across multiple games. This increased trust, Sweeney argues, will encourage players to invest more in digital items, knowing their purchases will remain valuable over time.

Epic's EVP, Saxs Persson, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the benefits of a federated system connecting various game platforms. This approach, they suggest, would enhance player retention and enjoyment by fostering social interaction and offering greater choice. The goal, as Sweeney notes, is not to dominate the market but to build upon the successes of existing platforms like Fortnite.