Epic Games has officially unveiled Unreal Engine 6, marking the next major evolution of its game development technology. The surprise announcement was made during the Rocket League Championship Series Paris Major tournament, where Epic Games and Psyonix showcased the first glimpse of Rocket League running with the company’s next-generation engine technology.
What makes the announcement even more surprising is that Rocket League will completely skip Unreal Engine 5. Instead of upgrading from Unreal Engine 3 to Unreal Engine 5, Psyonix is moving the game directly to Unreal Engine 6.
Rocket League has been running on Unreal Engine 3 since its launch in 2015. Over the years, the game has continued receiving updates, new arenas, cars, cosmetics, and limited-time modes, but fans have repeatedly requested a modern engine upgrade. Until now, most players expected the game to eventually move to Unreal Engine 5.
The teaser shown during the tournament was short, but it offered an early look at the visual improvements players can expect from the new engine. The footage showcased a much more realistic stadium environment with improved lighting, textures, reflections, and environmental details. The cars and the Rocket League ball also looked significantly more detailed compared to the current version of the game.
Epic also highlighted upgraded visual effects during gameplay moments. A brief aerial sequence featuring the Octane showed improved boost trails and smoother effects. Toward the end of the teaser, the company also hinted at a revamped customization system, suggesting that paints, parts, and cosmetic customization could receive major upgrades in the future version of the game.
Interestingly, Epic confirmed that the teaser footage itself was captured in real time using Unreal Engine 5 technology. This indicates that Unreal Engine 6 is still under development, with UE5 likely serving as the foundation for Epic’s next-generation engine.
The announcement is significant because Unreal Engine 5 itself is still relatively new across the gaming industry. Epic first introduced Unreal Engine 5 in 2020 before rolling it out to Fortnite in 2021 through early access. The engine later received its full launch in 2022 and quickly became one of the most widely used game engines for modern AAA and indie game development.
At the moment, Epic Games has not revealed technical details about Unreal Engine 6. The company also did not announce a release date for the engine or for Rocket League’s upgraded version. However, based on Epic’s previous rollout strategy, the engine may first appear in Epic’s own games before becoming available to third-party developers later.
Fortnite is also expected to become one of the first major titles to adopt Unreal Engine 6 alongside Rocket League.
For Rocket League players, this announcement marks the beginning of a completely new era for the game. Since the title has remained on Unreal Engine 3 for over a decade, the jump directly to Unreal Engine 6 could bring one of the biggest visual and technical upgrades the game has ever seen.
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