The Unreal Engine, known in various incarnations as the main – perhaps even de facto – game engine for more than a decade, is already familiar to major game developers, especially those with AAA experience. It may be harder to explain the world of animated TV shows, though it probably won’t be for long.

The engine was used in the CG superhero show Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir in its sixth season, giving the series a visual lift as the line between video games and CG animation blurs. The teenage superheroes are animated using Unreal Engine’s 3D creation tools, used most famously in Epic’s own Fortnite videos and trailers.

There have been uses for the Unreal Engine in animated TV, so in that sense, the use of Miraculous is part of a continuing trend rather than a revolution, but it’s a continuing trend that’s becoming more and more you are famous.

This expansion of CG animation presents a great opportunity for Epic to license the Unreal Engine to a wider variety of projects than video games. It could also theoretically return to game development with more expanded features as Epic expands its toolset to work better with non-game projects.

Regardless, we may be looking at a change in the CG animation industry as it builds a bridge to game development and there is a bit of daylight between the two concepts. That can only be a good thing for Epic and could raise all boats in the process.

Daily insights into business use cases in VB Daily

If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory changes to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.

Read our Privacy Policy

Thanks for subscribing. See more VB newsletters here.

An error occurred.