Epic Online Services 🎮, Unity AI Ads 🤖, Indie Funding Competition 💰
🌿 Innovations in Game Engines
Master GPU-Based Procedural Foliage Generation in Unreal Engine 5.6
The Witcher 4 tech demo impressively showcases runtime foliage generation on the GPU using procedural content generation (PCG), a feature enhanced in Unreal Engine 5.6. Epic’s Adrien Logut offers a comprehensive tutorial explaining how to enable GPU execution, create custom HLSL nodes, and sample landscapes directly on the GPU. Though still experimental and requiring basic HLSL knowledge, this video and accompanying project files provide invaluable insight into cutting-edge GPU-driven workflows.
Create Cinematic Magic in Unreal Engine: Techniques for Animators
In this in-depth Unreal Engine tutorial, Fredrik Nilsson explores the powerful capabilities of Unreal Engine’s Sequencer for animating, prototyping, and creating cinematics. Discover practical techniques like the art of baking animations, utilizing control rigs, and recording gameplay to transform into cinematic sequences.
Level Up: Epic Online Services for Next-Gen Mobile Game Development
Epic Games' Kanja Carl unveils how Epic Online Services empower mobile game developers with free tools and services, enabling them to build and scale games with ease. By supporting cross-platform progress and a vast player network, Epic boosts engagement and retention, revolutionizing mobile gaming success.
📈 The Business of Gaming
Unity’s AI-Powered Ads Platform Vector Sparks 15% Growth Amid Revenue Challenges
Unity reported a slight year-over-year revenue decline to $441 million in Q2 2025 but highlighted a strong 15% sequential growth in its ads business thanks to the AI-driven Vector platform. While some divisions faced revenue dips, the company improved adjusted EBITDA and reduced net losses. Unity views Q2 as a pivotal moment, forecasting steady revenue and continued ad growth as it leverages AI innovation to regain market momentum.
Rising Tide #2: Up to $300K Funding for Indie Game Creators
Krafton-backed Blue Ocean Games has launched Rising Tide #2, a global competition offering up to $300K funding for indie developers through its new In-Development track. A freshly introduced Idea-Only track empowers artists, storytellers, and gamers with bold concepts to earn up to $25K, even without prior dev experience. Featuring dynamic short-video submissions and public voting, Rising Tide #2 opens fresh doors for diverse creators to bring their game visions to life.
🔧 Tools and Techniques for Developers
PixiJS v8.12.0: Major Bug Hunt Success and New WebGPU Sharing Feature
PixiJS v8.12.0 launches after the community-driven Bug Hunt Month, delivering 45 bug fixes and closing over 250 issues. Key new features include the ability to control scaleMode for cache textures, WebGPU adapter/device sharing with other engines, and a revamped asset loading API. Alongside, PixiJS Layout v3.1.0 improves Flexbox-style layouts and drag controls. With a new bug bounty program and enhanced developer tools, PixiJS continues to evolve through strong community collaboration.
Exploring Segment Arrays: A Fast, Stable Alternative to Dynamic Arrays in C
Discover the Segment Array, a memory-efficient data structure that provides a stable alternative to dynamic arrays in C. With constant time access and arena-friendly properties, Segment Arrays are perfect for situations involving unknown item counts. This post dives into implementation details, comparisons with other structures, and its practical applications in projects like build profilers.
To Add or Not to Add: The Multiplayer Dilemma in Game Development
Multiplayer can powerfully boost player engagement and revenue, but integrating it into an existing game is far from trivial. This Game Industry Conference 2024 talk dives into the core gameplay dependencies and practical challenges of adding online multiplayer, using real case studies across asynchronous, turn-based, and real-time games. If you’re considering multiplayer for your project, this insightful session lays out what to expect and how to navigate the process effectively.