ContactEarlier this week, Epic Games' annual State of Unreal keynote showcased a sprawling technical demo for The Witcher 4, marking developer CD Projekt Red's first use of Unreal Engine 5 in the franchise. In one fell swoop, the demo set a new visual benchmark for open-world RPGs while providing another timely reminder that video games are, in this and many other cases, major cultural IPs on equal footing with theatrical franchises and prestige television series. The Polish studio has all but confirmed that future Cyberpunk titles will leverage Unreal to sit alongside breakout hits Black Myth: Wukong and Expedition 33.
Epic also revealed that its hyperrealistic MetaHuman Creator is now fully embedded in Unreal Engine 5, giving game developers and other creators powerful new tools for designing and distributing lifelike virtual characters.
In recent years, Unreal Engine has become an important tool in virtual video production, with its real-time rendering capabilities now supporting major motion pictures, TV shows, branded content and advertising. LED volume technology, typically installed via a curved wall made of high-resolution LED screens, is rapidly becoming core to modern content pipelines, replacing green screens. Creators who once relied on complex and expensive post-production are turning to game engines and real-time rendering to simulate lifelike virtual backdrops.
A notable example is the studio production of Fallout, the Amazon Prime Video series based on the beloved RPG franchise, where Unreal Engine was used to construct four environments. These were projected onto an LED volume during shooting, giving the production team full creative control while dramatically reducing the need for physical sets and location shoots. In an era of tightening budgets, particularly when it comes to live-action adaptations of video game IP, virtual production technology is proving to be a force multiplier for both video production and monetisation.
Virtual product placement, where branded objects or surfaces are inserted into scenes during post-production, is increasingly common. Amazon has developed product placement of this kind with activations in original Prime series like Bosch, Jack Ryan and Reacher. However, placements added in post-production cannot be targeted to different audiences. Virtual production allows third parties, such as Bidstack, to plug into a chosen game engine, which enables creators to designate, target, and dynamically control any number of placements. Different audiences can be served with different visual inputs when underpinned by platform or device-level targeting and distribution. For example, a variation of a character's outfit, created in Unreal to display localised branding, could be served according to geographical location.
The global virtual production market is projected to surpass $8 billion by 2030, with generative AI a key driver. Notably, this year's State of Unreal did not explore in great detail the synergies between virtual production and generative AI. However, it's clear that Unreal Engine is already using AI tools such as Midjourney and Dall-E. AI-assisted previsualization allows creators to generate concept art and build asset libraries before projects formally begin.
As real-time rendering, generative AI, and world-building tools converge, we're going to see a more agile, experimental form of media production, one where timelines shrink and costs drop because virtual environments can be more easily reused, adapted or shared across projects.
Game engines like Unreal are shaping one of the most democratising moments in media history, where access to tools and distribution has levelled the playing field. High-fidelity asset libraries, AI-assisted tools, and plug-and-play virtual production workflows are making it possible for smaller teams, or even solo creators, to build worlds that were previously the preserve of big studios. In this context, monetisation becomes not just important but essential. Whether through in-world partnerships, context-aware placements, or brand integrations that respect the creative canvas, a larger swath of empowered creators will need ways to sustain their work. We know that use cases, grounded in the broad remit of managing targeted placements in virtual environments, will continue to evolve with commercial partnerships, and our systems are ready and able to support them.
