Epic Games is all set to kickstart Unreal Fest Stockholm 2025 later this week. Before the event, the gaming giant shared the public roadmap for Unreal Engine version 5.7. The roadmap gave us a sneak peek into its major new features and several smaller workflow improvements.
The revealed features include both new and some previously announced ones, all of which aim to change and improve the game development landscape. Additionally, the latest Unreal Engine update will also integrate AI into the workflow, helping both beginners and new users. Here is everything you need to know about the Unreal Engine 5.7 update.
Nanite Foliage – The Next Big Thing in Game Development
Nanite Foliage is a major experimental addition to UE 5.7. The new feature is set to significantly improve the look of greenery, such as forests, plants, and bushes, giving them a lifelike appearance. It also allows them to perform well on modern hardware without overloading the system.
The feature was mentioned earlier this year and was later revealed by Unreal Engine Supervisor Dylan Browne, who showcased a huge FPS boost in games.
Nanite Foliage uses three key tech advancements: Nanite Assemblies, which reduce memory and storage demands; Nanite Skinning, which allows trees to sway in the wind while retaining smooth rendering at scale; and Nanite Voxels, which improves level-of-detail switching. A tech demo of the feature was made for The Witcher 4, demonstrating voxelized Nanite foliage to create dense, highly detailed forests with excellent performance.
In addition to Nanite Foliage, the new update will also allow users to use the AI Assistant Plugin, another experimental feature designed to help developers. The feature allows developers to get answers to their queries without leaving Unreal Engine.
Alongside these new features, some existing features received major upgrades, such as MegaLights. First introduced as an experimental feature in Unreal Engine 5.5, MegaLights enables artists and developers to use significantly more dynamic and movable light sources in their scenes. These lights can cast real-time shadows while maintaining enhanced performance.
You can check out the UE5.7 public roadmap here, and also keep following the Game Insider Blog for more game development-related news.