Unreal Engine, which has been known in its various incarnations as the premiere — perhaps even de facto — game engine for over a decade, is already quite familiar to major game developers, especially those with AAA experience. It might be harder to explain to the world of animated TV shows, though perhaps not for long.
The engine is being used in the CG superhero show Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir in its sixth season, giving a visual lift to the series as the line between video games and CG animation blurs. The teen superheroes are being animated using Unreal Engine’s 3D creation tools, which have been used most famously in Epic’s own Fortnite videos and trailers.
There have been previous uses for Unreal Engine in animated TV, so in that sense, the use in Miraculous is part of a continuing trend rather than a revolution, but it’s a continuing trend that is becoming more and more notable.
This expansion to CG animation presents a major opportunity for Epic to license the Unreal Engine to a wider variety of projects than just video games. It could in theory also reverberate back to game development with more expanded features as Epic expands the toolset to work better with non-gaming 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 less daylight between the two concepts. That can only be a good thing for Epic and it might lift all boats in the process.
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