Epic Games’ MetaHuman Tool Now Available for Everyone
▼ Summary
– MetaHuman, Epic Games’ tool for creating realistic digital humans, is now fully available in Unreal Engine 5.6 after exiting early access.
– Developers can use MetaHuman Animation to generate real-time animations and audio from mono cameras like webcams or smartphones.
– MetaHuman Creator offers expanded character mesh shapes, textures, and improved fidelity due to better scanned data processing.
– Epic showcased MetaHuman’s real-time animation at Unreal Fest 2025, demonstrating live facial capture with minimal camera setup.
– Epic updated Unreal Engine’s EULA to allow MetaHuman use in any game engine or creative software.
Epic Games has officially launched its groundbreaking MetaHuman tool to all developers, marking a major leap forward in digital character creation. The technology, now fully integrated with Unreal Engine 5.6, allows creators to generate highly realistic human characters with unprecedented speed and precision.
One of the most exciting updates is MetaHuman Animation, which enables real-time motion capture using basic equipment like webcams or smartphones. Compatible with Unreal Engine LiveLink, this feature opens up advanced animation capabilities to a broader range of developers, even those working with budget-friendly setups.
The MetaHuman Creator has also received significant upgrades, including a wider variety of facial shapes, textures, and improved scanning techniques. These enhancements result in strikingly lifelike digital humans, reducing the time and resources typically needed for high-end character design.
At Unreal Fest 2025, Epic showcased the tool’s real-time potential with a live demonstration featuring an alien character named Blue. Using minimal camera equipment, an actor’s performance was instantly translated into the digital character’s movements and expressions—without any perceptible lag. The seamless interaction highlighted how accessible professional-grade animation has become.
In another major development, Epic updated its Unreal Engine EULA to permit the use of MetaHumans across different game engines and creative software. This flexibility ensures developers can integrate the tool into their preferred workflows, further expanding its potential applications.
The widespread availability of MetaHuman represents a significant shift in digital content creation, empowering studios and independent creators alike to push the boundaries of realism in games, films, and virtual experiences.
(Source: VentureBeat)
