Unreal Engine 5.7 Nears Release as GitHub Branch Surfaces
Unreal Engine 5.7 may be closer to launch than expected, as recent findings suggest Epic Games is preparing the next iteration of its popular game engine.
As spotted by TheRedPixel on X, an Unreal Engine 5.7 branch has appeared on GitHub, while the Main branch has already advanced to 5.8, signaling that version 5.7 is nearing completion and release. Although no official announcement has been made, speculation points to a preview reveal later this month during Unreal Fest Stockholm (September 22–24, 2025), where Epic traditionally shares major updates and future roadmaps for Unreal Engine.
#UnrealEngine 5.7 Branch is already available on Github!! And they also bumped Main to 5.8. Remember that 5.6 was delayed, as the usual time of engine ver release is around April (1st) and November(2nd). They may release a preview around the dates of Unreal Fest Stockholm… pic.twitter.com/lx8RRHaHC4
— TheRedPixel (@theredpix) September 6, 2025
Details about the new features in UE 5.7 remain under wraps, but expectations are high for refinements to hardware Lumen and Nanite Foliage, two systems that have seen steady improvements across recent updates. Hardware Lumen in particular has become a focus for Epic, with continued enhancements to real-time global illumination and reflections aimed at boosting both image quality and performance.
The most recent release, Unreal Engine 5.6, arrived in June following the State of Unreal showcase. That version introduced notable upgrades, including:
Hardware ray tracing optimizations to improve Lumen Global Illumination performance.
Faster geometry streaming for smoother traversal of massive static worlds.
A redesigned Motion Trails workflow, improving animation editing.
Revamped Tween Tools and Curve Editor for animators.
Substantial CPU and GPU efficiency gains compared to UE 5.4, as demonstrated in side-by-side tests using the Paris Tech Demo.
Looking ahead, developers are hopeful that Unreal Engine 5.7 will make strides in addressing one of the most common complaints surrounding UE5 titles: shader compilation and traversal stuttering. While each update has chipped away at these issues, players and developers alike are eager for smoother experiences across all platforms.
With UE 5.7 on the horizon and UE 5.8 already in early development, Epic Games continues its rapid cadence of updates, keeping Unreal Engine at the forefront of modern game development.
👉 Do you think UE 5.7 will finally solve the stuttering issues that have plagued Unreal Engine 5 games, or will this remain an ongoing challenge for developers?
