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Lyra is a customizable Unreal Engine 5 shooter from Epic Games

Unreal Engine 5 developers can use a variety of tools to fully program this shooter.

Donovan Erskine

April 5, 2022 8:55 AM

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During the April 2022 State of Unreal livestream, Epic Games confirmed that Unreal Engine 5.0 is officially launching for developers around the world. Granting access to a suite of new creation tools and programs, Epic also revealed a brand new sample project that Unreal Engine 5 developers will have access to. Lyra is a shooter that’s fully customizable using all of the new bells and whistles in UE5.

We got our first look at Lyra during the latest State of Unreal livestream. The shooter essentially serves as the clay that developers can mold into whatever they want it to be. In a demonstration, we see the developers create new structures, walls, staircases, as well as add weapons to the map. Each of these structures are dynamic, as developers can shape and mold them to their liking.

Lighting is a major aspect of Unreal Engine 5, and was spotlighted in the Lyra demo. The map being played on is entirely lit by sunlight, and as the developer moves and manipulates the sun, the lighting realistically moves around and bounces off of the different surfaces.

Lyra is meant to be an introduction for developers looking to make a shooter in Unreal Engine 5. The developer also states that it can be the basis for a creator’s project. Lyra was revealed alongside City Sample, a fully fleshed out version of the city seen in the Unreal Engine 5 The Matrix demo from last year.

Unreal Engine 5 is out now in its full release for developers. During the showcase, the developers brought on CD Projekt RED to further discuss the fact that The Witcher 4 is being developed for Unreal Engine 5. It was also announced that Crystal Dynamics is developing the next Tomb Raider game in Unreal Engine 5.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_