Foliage Tools 🌿, Blender on Android 📱, Unity Avatars 🤖
🌳 Enhancing Unreal Engine
Foliage Tools: Next-Level Forest Creation for Unreal Engine
Technical Art Director Rense de Boer is developing Foliage Tools, a powerful Unreal Engine add-on that enhances the creation of dense forests and landscapes with improved graphics and optimization. Replacing the native foliage system, it offers greater control over placement, customization, and environmental interaction. The latest update introduces a Re-Simulate feature for precise visual adjustments. Though still in development, some simulations are available for purchase.
EasyAtmos: Streamline Stunning Atmospheric Effects in Unreal Engine 5
William Faucher launches EasyAtmos, a powerful Unreal Engine 5 plug-in that lets artists create and animate dynamic atmospheric effects—from drifting leaves and bug swarms to thick fog and crumbling rocks—all controlled through a single, user-friendly Blueprint. Perfect for both real-time projects and cinematics, it simplifies workflows by reducing particle clutter and offering full keyframe animation support.
🖌️ Blender's Exciting Developments
Blender Comes to Android Tablets: Ongoing Development Shows Promise
Blender is making strides on Android tablets with an active port led by developer epai. While the latest Blender 4.0 builds struggle on devices like the Xiaomi Pad 7, version 3.6.22 runs reasonably well, offering a glimpse of mobile 3D creativity. Development continues, with test clips inspiring hope for a robust Android experience soon for artists on the go.
Unlock Creative Potential with Blender 4.5’s New Set Mesh Normal Node
Blender 4.5’s release candidate introduces the powerful Set Mesh Normal node, enabling artists to modify custom normals and revolutionize shading control. Alongside this, Vulkan integration promises significant performance boosts. Explore expert demos by Trinumedia and Cartesian Caramel, and get ready for the full launch on July 15th.
📈 Trends in Game Advertising and AI
Interactive Ads Surge: Playable Formats Drive Mobile Game Growth in 2024
In 2024, top mobile apps boosted interactive ads spend by 20%, with playable ad formats delivering impression-to-install rates up to 16 times higher than traditional ads. Enhanced by generative AI and user-generated content, these engaging ads significantly improve installs and user engagement. Liftoff’s Mobile Ad Creative Index reveals how integrating “metaplay” elements and personalized creative assets is reshaping mobile game marketing success.
Artificial Agency’s Behavior Engine Brings Dynamic AI Life to Games
Artificial Agency has launched the alpha of its AI-powered behavior engine, promising a transformative leap in game development with autonomous characters and adaptive AI-driven game directors. This technology allows games to dynamically respond to player actions, creating personalized, emergent experiences that evolve over time. With easy integration and deep customization, developers can craft smarter gameplay and richer narratives that react meaningfully to player choices, opening new creative frontiers for interactive storytelling.
🤖 AI and Game Development Collaboration
Unlocking Marginal Gains: Empowering Game Dev Teams for Continuous Improvement
Studio Gobo's Lead Designer Adam Russell presents a compelling GDC 2025 talk on how small, 1% improvements across all aspects of game development can collectively create significant positive change. This mindset encourages individual team members to spot and act on micro-improvements that compound, boosting efficiency and enhancing the experience for both developers and players.
Genies and Unity Team Up to Bring Smart AI Avatars to Game Development
Genies, an AI avatar tech company, partners with Unity to launch customizable, intelligent AI avatars and user-generated content tools inside the Unity ecosystem in 2026. This collaboration empowers developers to rapidly create game-ready avatars, integrate high-profile IP, and explore new AI-driven gameplay experiences. With six years of R&D behind its smart avatar framework, Genies aims to revolutionize game development by making AI companions emotionally responsive, interactive, and cross-platform compatible.