It's a fact easily forgotten as you browse your swelling Steam backlog, but games are really bloody expensive to make. While crowdfunding continues to be a viable option, nothing compares to a good old fashion cash injection. To these ends, Epic Games has set aside $5 million dollars to help studios complete their projects – so long as the project uses Unreal Engine 4.
Unreal Dev Grants will offer between $5,000 and $50,000 to projects utilising Unreal Engine 4, and the good news is that these grants are no-strings-attached. The recipient will keep all rights to their game, can spend the grant money however they wish, and publish it as they see fit. As long as there's a working prototype, anyone is eligible.
"While development can be fueled by creativity and determination alone, finishing and releasing a commercial project often requires money," Tim Sweeney wrote on the Unreal Engine site.
"We know this firsthand, as Epic’s early projects were built on shoestring budgets funded by such sources as Tim Sweeney’s lawn-mowing earnings, and Mark Rein’s credit card (before they took it away from him!). A small budget can make all the difference in shipping a project with the content, marketing materials, and promotional expenses necessary for it to gain traction."
Full details on how to apply are over on the Unreal Dev Grants website.
