Unreal Engine 4 now free for schools and universities

As of today, universities and schools will be able to access Unreal Engine 4 for free.

Epic Games says this latest initiative to support academia will allow students to add high-end game demos and projects to their portfolios, as well as building their experience with the widely-used technology.

As with the subscriber version, Unreal Engine 4 includes the complete C++ source code, as well Epic’s Blueprint visual scripting system.

Learning materials will also be available with Epic offering free tutorials and extensive documentation, complete sample projects and more.

"Nothing is stopping students from honing the skills needed to enter the range of fields using Unreal Engine technology, from entertainment software and film to visualisation, healthcare simulation and military training," said Unreal Engine general manager Ray Dvais.

"Students who know Unreal Engine technology have a huge advantage when it comes to job placement."

Universities and school can access Unreal Engine 4 through www.unrealengine.com/education.

Earlier this year, Epic Games launched Unreal Engine 4 with a new subscription model that allows developers to access the complete toolset and source code for $19 per month.