Unity Smart Merge 👨💻, Epic Age Checks 🛡️, Steam AI Demos 🤖
🎮 Smarter Game Dev Workflows
Stop Breaking Scenes: Unity Smart Merge and Git Worktrees Setup
Merging Unity scenes, fixing hotfixes, and juggling feature branches doesn’t have to be slow or scary. This tutorial shows how to set up UnityYAMLMerge with Git, configure .gitattributes for reliable scene and prefab merging, and leverage Unity’s mergespec with tools like P4Merge for complex conflicts. It then introduces Git worktrees and git-worktree-runner so multiple branches can stay open and editable at once. The result is a smooth, parallel Unity workflow with minimal waiting and zero broken references.
Smart Control Rigs in Unreal: Blending Game Logic and Animation
If you’re still building rigs like it’s 2005, this Unreal Fest talk shows a different path. Control Rig treats rigs as reusable logic assets, with data-driven loops, full-body IK, proxies, and Chaos physics all available inside Sequencer at real-time speeds. You’ll see multi-legged robots walking with auto-generated footsteps, physics-reassembling mechs, and robotic “eye” behaviors built from tiny simulation modules. It’s a compelling look at how game runtime tech can now directly power high-end animation authoring.
🛡️ Safety, Policy & AI in Games
How Epic’s Free Parent Verification Keeps Young Players Safe Everywhere
Epic Games’ Kids Web Services team walks through how their free Parent Verification service helps studios protect younger players while meeting regulations like COPPA and GDPR. The talk shows Fortnite’s real onboarding flow, then demonstrates how any developer can integrate the same system via the Epic Developer Portal. With a global “age graph” of roughly 30 million pre‑verified adults, KWS slashes friction for parents and boosts completion rates. Built for security and massive scale, it lets you ship safer kid experiences without building your own verification stack.
How 500+ Steam Next Fest Demos Really Used Generative AI
An analysis of 507 Steam Next Fest October 2025 games shows generative AI is now deeply embedded in production pipelines. Nearly two-thirds of AI-using titles relied on it for art, especially backgrounds and character/monster visuals, while roughly a quarter used it for audio like VO and music, and almost a third for marketing assets. Coding and writing use appear underreported, and disclosure quality is often poor, with vague wording, mismatched demo/store pages, and some AI notices quietly removed after the event.