©INVEN Epic Games held UNREAL FEST 2026 Chicago at McCormick Place on the 17th and 18th. UNREAL FEST is an event that introduces a wide range of information regarding Epic Games' diverse technologies and development ecosystem, including Unreal Engine, UEFN, and the Epic Games Store. As such, it is a venue that developers from all over the world keep a close eye on.
This year was particularly notable as the next version of Unreal Engine, 'Unreal Engine 6,' was officially announced, drawing over 2000 industry professionals to the venue. The event was packed with stunning news, starting with the release of Unreal Engine 5.8 during the 'State of Unreal' keynote, followed by the vision for Unreal Engine 6, which is set to change the very foundation of the engine.
With so many developers in attendance, there were plenty of spaces for them to share know-how and engage in discussions. Between those sessions, the event featured food zones to satisfy hungry attendees, booths to answer questions about Unreal Engine, and various games utilizing the engine—truly a festival for Unreal Engine users. Here is a look at the scene in photos.
McCormick Place in Chicago, the first host city for UNREAL FEST this year ©INVEN The venue was already bustling more than an hour before the event started ©INVEN It was all for the 'State of Unreal' keynote, a must-attend for any developer using Unreal ©INVEN The countdown begins in a hall packed with over 2000 people ©INVEN The introduction of version 5.8, released right alongside the start of the State of Unreal ©INVEN Unreal now features a built-in MCP editor, making it even easier to utilize AI ©INVEN Why the new Gears of War, revived after a long hiatus, chose Unreal Engine.jpg ©INVEN Riot's TFT also uses Unreal to support multiple platforms simultaneously ©INVEN 'No Law,' a cyberpunk FPS from KRAFTON subsidiary Neon Giant, was also introduced ©INVEN The Simpsons, who visited Fortnite late last year ©INVEN Now, through collaboration with UEFN, you can experience Springfield in full ©INVEN Unreal Engine 6, currently in development with an early access target of late 2027—what kind of innovation will it bring? ©INVEN After the keynote, it was time to head upstairs ©INVEN Booths demonstrating the various technologies introduced today are visible, but ©INVEN First things first: time to satisfy that hunger ©INVEN The scale of the conference hall is as impressive as the size of Lake Michigan; it's a spectacle to see nearly a thousand people eating together ©INVEN The catering menu is the same everywhere, so keep an eye out for a less crowded spot and go for it ©INVEN I'm at the age where I need to make sure I get my vitamins before loading up on meat, sigh ©INVEN Next up, some quinoa salad ©INVEN A mix of vegetables, chicken breast, and salmon—it seems they put effort into making it appeal to everyone ©INVEN I was so busy eating I forgot to take a picture. It’s a clean, healthy taste ©INVEN Now that we're fed, it's time to look around ©INVEN If you've come all the way to Chicago, you have to check out the merchandise ©INVEN Bugs, the developer's enemy! Exterminate them! ©INVEN A special shirt filled with Chicago landmarks like the Willis Tower ©INVEN A basketball jersey in the style of the Bulls—if it were 2023, I would have bought it without a second thought ©INVEN Stencil tattoos are a staple at international developer events ©INVEN With The Simpsons confirmed to come to UEFN later this year, they've even been included in the designs ©INVEN Who would have thought 'Chalk Warfare,' which garnered over 3 million subscribers, would be turned into a game? ©INVEN 'Lee Hwan,' proudly taking its place in the game zone with the triple threat of Unreal Engine, open world, and cross-platform support(?) ©INVEN There are also various other games to enjoy in UEFN scattered throughout the venue ©INVEN You can't have a day like this without popcorn... I can't believe it was already running out so soon after lunch ©INVEN Intel and Lenovo participated as hardware partners ©INVEN New gaming laptops always tug at a developer's heartstrings ©INVEN A rollable laptop that makes you want to open your wallet just by looking at it, but I must resist X3 ©INVEN A diverse lineup including UMPCs is also available ©INVEN Xbox also participated with a Gears of War session, where you could hear various tips on-site ©INVEN ??? What is Homer doing here? ©INVEN "Why you little...!" I never thought I'd get to recreate this iconic scene myself, sniff ©INVEN The line was so long that you had to wait at least 30 minutes for a photo op. It was well worth it ©INVEN The Fortnite editor is now engine-grade, and in version 6, it is slated to be integrated with the engine itself ©INVEN MetaHuman, which was the most popular reveal at the event, also received a great response in the exhibition hall ©INVEN I never expected the MetaHuman dev kit, which literally feels like moving a real person into the metaverse, to be released for free ©INVEN As you walk around the vast venue, you can see stations providing caffeine and soda everywhere ©INVEN And with smoothies nearby to add a touch of freshness, you can clear your head and keep exploring ©INVEN Sometimes, taking a moment to lie down and rest is a good choice ©INVEN UNREAL FEST brought together developers from all over the world; it will be held in Seoul this coming August, so stay tuned ©INVEN
This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of NC AI. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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