Unreal Engine 6: A Metaverse for All Games

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

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has outlined an ambitious plan to create a vast, interconnected metaverse using the next generation Unreal Engine 6. This vision involves integrating assets and marketplaces from major games built on Unreal Engine, including Fortnite and potentially Roblox and others.

Sweeney emphasizes the creation of an interoperable metaverse and economy.

In a recent interview with The Verge, Sweeney highlighted Epic's strong financial position, enabling them to pursue this long-term project. He described the plan as a multi-year undertaking, combining the power of Unreal Engine with the user-friendly interface of the Unreal Editor for Fortnite to create Unreal Engine 6. This new engine will allow developers to create games once and deploy them across various platforms.

This interoperability extends to collaborations with other companies. Sweeney cited a partnership with Disney to create an interoperable Disney ecosystem within Fortnite's framework. While discussions with Roblox and Microsoft haven't begun, Sweeney anticipates future collaborations. The core concept is to foster a shared economy where digital purchases retain value across multiple games, encouraging longer player engagement and increased spending.

Epic EVP Saxs Persson supports this vision, suggesting a federated system allowing seamless transitions between games like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. This approach aims to enhance player experience by fostering community and competition among various ecosystems, mirroring the diverse landscape of the smartphone market. The key, according to Persson, is to leverage existing successful elements of Fortnite and expand upon them.