#Japan #Tokyo #Epic Games #Fortnite #Unreal Engine

Unreal Fest Tokyo 2025: A Glimpse into the Future

Epic Games recently hosted the highly anticipated "Unreal Fest Tokyo 2025" on November 14th and 15th at the TAKANAWA GATEWAY Convention Center. This year's event marked its 11th iteration, attracting a record attendance of approximately 1,800 participants, making it the largest Unreal Fest to date.

The event highlighted a diverse range of industries, including gaming, film, architecture, and mobility, featuring presentations from leading developers and creators who showcased the latest use cases of Unreal Engine. Among the notable additions this year was the establishment of satellite venues across Japan, including locations in Hokkaido, Osaka, and Kyushu, which enabled Unreal Engine communities nationwide to gather and experience the event in real-time.

Keynote Highlights

The Evolution of Unreal Engine

On the first day, the keynote speech captivated the audience as Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took the stage alongside Japan's representative, Takayuki Kawasaki. They discussed the evolution of Unreal Engine and Epic’s vision for a creator ecosystem. Sweeney emphasized how the company's various technologies, including Unreal Engine, Epic Games Store, Epic Online Services, and the Fortnite ecosystem, are evolving into a robust "open ecosystem" tailored to support developers in creation, distribution, and monetization.

He introduced innovative tools such as MetaHuman, RealityScan, and Twinmotion, all aimed at enhancing efficiencies in the creative workflow. Furthermore, Sweeney touched on the Epic Games Store's revenue-sharing model, which offers an impressive 88% to developers, and shared plans for launching an iOS store in Japan as early as January 2026.

Spotlight on Fortnite

The discussion then shifted toward the growth of Fortnite as a pillar of the creator economy. Sweeney revealed that creations made with the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) have collectively been played for over 10 billion hours, returning more than $720 million to creators worldwide. He emphasized the new opportunities for creators to cultivate individual economic ecosystems through in-game purchases within their islands.

In the latter segment of his talk, Sweeney introduced Epic's vision for an "open metaverse," detailing advancements related to the next-generation language, "Verse," and the new scene structure, "Scene Graph." These features, initially deployed in Fortnite, are set to be integrated into the upcoming Unreal Engine 6.

Expanding Applications in Japan

Takayuki Kawasaki elaborated on the increasing adoption of Unreal Engine across various sectors in Japan. In the automotive industry, several major OEMs are embracing Unreal Engine for HMI development and visualization. Notably, Sony Honda Mobility's "AFEELA 1" integrates real-time 3D representation as part of its HMI system.

In the realm of film and media, examples from Kabushiki Kaisha's VTuber 3D virtual live performances and the production of the "Fortnite Chapter 6" trailer were showcased, illustrating the power of real-time rendering in media production. Additionally, in gaming, titles such as "Silent Hill f," "Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds," and "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles 2" are rapidly adopting Unreal Engine, underlining its prominence in the domestic production scene.

Event Details and Resources

A comprehensive list of presentations is available, and archived videos will be published later on the official Unreal Engine Japan YouTube channel. Participants can revisit the enriching experiences and insights shared during this landmark event.

• - Event Name: Unreal Fest Tokyo 2025
• - Venue: TAKANAWA GATEWAY Convention Center, B2F
• - Address: 2-chome-21-2 Takanawa, Minato City, Tokyo 108-0074, Japan
• - Official Website: Unreal Fest Tokyo 2025

About Unreal Engine and Epic Games

Epic Games, founded in 1991 by CEO Tim Sweeney, is an American company headquartered in Cary, North Carolina. With over 50 offices globally, Epic leads in interactive entertainment, developing tools used in various fields including gaming, film, architecture, automotive, and training simulations. The Unreal Engine has become a powerful force in the industry, enabling creators to offer cutting-edge content and immersive experiences. Interested individuals can follow @UnrealEngineJP and download Unreal Engine for free at unrealengine.com.

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