Artist reveals behind-the-scenes work from Unreal Engine 5's stunning MegaLights tech demo

Showcased at Unreal Fest Seattle 2024, MegaLights in Unreal Engine 5.5 is a new feature that aims to change the game when its comes to creating dynamic light and soft shadows. It uses ray tracing to create realistic shadows from different area lights

The new tool aims to lower the cost involved in creating dynamic shadowing and unshadowed light evaluation, unlocking the possibility of using expensive light sources like textured area lights on consoles. Now senior environment artist Saga Alayyoubi has shared some behind-the-scenes footage from the demo, showing custom modeling and sculpting of ornate architecture and various props.

Megalights BTS - Saga Alayyoubi - YouTube

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You can see the final MegaLights demo from last month's event below. The team used some elements from KitBash3D, modifying them to make them integrate with their own assets. Some elements from the demo are available in the Fab store.

MegaLights Demo | Unreal Fest Seattle 2024 - YouTube

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For more on Unreal Engine, see our roundup of new Unreal Engine 5.5 features.