Is UDK really free for me to use?
Absolutely. Download UDK, create your project and distribute it completely free of cost.
- Your content is new and original.
- You do not republish content from licensed sources, e.g., the Mastering Unreal Technology books from Sams and 3D Buzz.
- You give appropriate legal attribution to Epic Games’ trademarks* and clearly cite your work as "not endorsed by Epic Games."
- You abide by the UDK end-user license agreement (EULA).
Can universities, high schools, faculty and students use UDK for free?
Educational institutions can use UDK under our "FREE for educational and non-commercial use" policy, even though they're charging tuition, and we'd love to have you teaching Unreal Engine 3 as well. No license is required for faculty or students.
Your students are encouraged to use UDK inside or outside of school to learn game development and for any other non-commercial purposes.
If a student, for example, decides he wants to sell a game he made as a school or hobby project he is welcome to do that as well. He would need to purchase our $99 license and then pay us royalties of 25% of his earnings after the first $5,000 he makes.
How much knowledge is required for someone to make a project with UDK?
If you are using Unreal Engine 3 for the first time a good place to start is the Unreal Developer Network. You can visit UDK’s home here: http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/DevelopmentKitHome.html
And the Getting Started with UDK portal is here: http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/DevelopmentKitGettingStarted.html
There are also new “Mastering Unreal Technology” books, authored by 3D Buzz and published by Sams.
Two volumes are currently available:
“Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3”
http://www.informit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0672329913
“Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume II: Advanced Level Design Concepts with Unreal Engine 3”
http://www.informit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=9780672329920
UDK is aimed at anyone who wants to work with Unreal Engine 3, and UDK provides the same professional, world-class tools with which our developers work. UDK isn't watered down in any way so both beginners and professional developers can use it.
How is developing UDK different from making mods?
Every time Epic ships a major new PC game, we ship the Unreal Engine tools with it and the mod makers blow us away with their creativity and ingenuity.
What makes UDK different is that it can be used by everyone. You don't have to own a copy of “Unreal Tournament 3” or “Gears of War” to get access to the engine tools, plus we are continually releasing free UDK updates.
In addition, all UDK releases are standalone products, meaning anyone can release a totally free game that requires no additional software.
Can I release a UDK game as open source?
The rights to develop and release a game for free are contained in the end-user license agreement (EULA). The EULA is also the license that governs the release of your game as it's built on UDK. You can't release your UDK project under terms other than the UDK EULA (like GPL, LGPL, open source, etc.). You don't have the right to encumber the UDK with terms that we have not already granted to you.
Can I use UDK to release a game that is free?
Yes. If the game is absolutely free to play and there is no commercial aspect to it then you're welcome to do so under the End User License Agreement. But some free games still require a license. If your game is free but is used to advertise a product or service you need a license for that. If your game is free to download and play but you sell content, services or products within your game that also requires a commercial license. If you're uncertain about whether you require a commercial license or not please email the particulars about your situation to UDKlicensing@epicgames.com and we'll be happy to answer you.
The primary difference is that UDK does not include Unreal Engine 3 C++ source code access. UDK ships with all the UnrealScript code and Unreal Engine tool integrations as the commercial version of Unreal Engine 3, offering all the same features the pros use.
The tools and technology are the same however a "full" license includes the underlying C++ source code to the engine and tools, which allows licensees to make virtually any change they want and potentially ship their game on consoles provided they're licensed by the console manufacturer.
Both UDK users and traditional Unreal Engine 3 commercial licensees have access to all UnrealScript source code. UnrealScript is comparable to a programming language like Java in terms of features and performance (byte-compiled), with features designed to simplify game development, e.g., state scoping of functions, automatic serialization, simple system for defining networking replication of properties and remote functions, etc.
There are tons of great materials and support avenues for UDK users, including the two new "Mastering Unreal Technology" books from Sams, hundreds of pages of support items on our Unreal Developer Network (udn.epicgames.com), our community forums (www.udk.com/forums), and hundreds of hours of free video tutorials from the folks at www.3dbuzz.com with a whole bunch more tailored specifically to getting started with UDK in the works right now.
Full UE3 licensees also get direct support from Epic's engineers who write UE3 code.
Can I release a noncommercial game that uses the “Unreal Tournament 3” assets included with UDK?
Yes. You can use UT3 assets included with UDK for a noncommercial game, but not UT3 assets not included with UDK. If you wish to sell your game, all assets must be owned by you.
Can we change the static UDK splash screen in our UDK apps?
Yes, you may alter the static splash screen as you see fit. The UDK movie, on the other hand, must not be changed.
Can I write C++ code that works with UDK?
You can interface C++ source via TCP. Basically, you can use UnrealScript and TCP/IP as glue code between the engine and your native code. For more information, visit the Unreal Developer Network here: http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/TcpLink.html
The December 2009 UDK Beta adds the ability for UnrealScript to call functions implemented in a Windows DLL. For more details, visit http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/DLLBind.html.
Can I sell works created using UDK?
The short answer is “Yes.” However you need a commercial license. Please view the information at our licensing page.
I’ve developed a UDK game I wish to sell via Xbox LIVE®, PLAYSTATION® NETWORK and/or on the PC. What's the next step?
Commercial release on the PC is already covered and we've got great terms at www.udk.com/licensing for those who want to sell games created with UDK for PC.
Console is a little more complicated because you need to be licensed by the console manufacturers before you can get a development kit, which involves a concept submission and (hint, hint!) UDK would be great for proving your worth in the concept submission stage.
If you can get through that step we're more than happy to talk with you about making a full source code license available under great business terms.
What about localization and international support?
The UDK software is available in the following languages: Chinese (Simplified), English, Japanese and Korean.
We're in the process of translating the UDK web site into Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Those languages are already supported in the UDK toolset itself and on the Unreal Developer Network (udn.epicgames.com).
May I license UDK for iPhone?
Unreal Engine 3 for iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch is an R&D Project that is still in development. There is no licensable product for UDK.
May I create and/or sell documentation or publications based on UDK?
You may create “unofficial” UDK documentation provided the following:
You may give away or sell unofficial documentation without a license from Epic. Epic does not charge a royalty fee for unofficial documentation.
Who do I contact with questions not answered here?
If you have any questions about licensing UDK or require custom license terms, source code licenses, or use on consoles please email udklicensing@epicgames.com for more information.
* Unreal Development Kit (UDK) © 2009, Epic Games, Inc. Epic, Epic Games, AnimSet Viewer, AnimTree Editor, Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Unreal, Unreal Cascade, Unreal Content Browser, Unreal Development Kit, Unreal Engine, Unreal Gemini, Unreal Kismet, Unreal Lightmass, Unreal Matinee, Unreal PhAT, Unreal Tourament are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere.