Trailer of Amy Henning Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Unveiled, Powered by Unreal Engine 5

We were previously aware that Amy Hennig, the acclaimed director and writer of games like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Jak 3, was developing a narrative-driven Marvel game centered around Captain America and Black Panther. Finally, some fresh information was revealed today, including the official title, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. That is expected to arrive in 2025.

Trailer of Marvel 1943 Released

Skydance Media released the first State of Unreal 2024 trailer to introduce the game.
Short gameplay clips and our first peek at the game’s cinematics were shown in the trailer. As we previously know, the game takes place in 1943 during World War II. The fact that the game is situated in Paris was further confirmed by the clip, which also included glimpses of the other two playable characters joining Captain America and Black Panther.

The other two playable characters in the game are Gabriel Jones, a U.S. soldier and member of the Howling Commandos, and Nanali, a Wakandan spy, according to a press statement that was released following the trailer’s publication.

Character Reveal and Metahuman Animator

We also discovered that the game would use Metahuman Animator, the same face animation program that Ninja Theory is planning to use for Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga, in addition to Unreal Engine 5. With the help of Metahuman Animator, any developer utilizing the technology may “reproduce any facial performance as high-fidelity animation” on its characters, resulting in more lifelike facial animations, by using an iPhone or a stereo helmet-mounted camera.

When the game was first revealed in late 2021, Hennig promised to create an “original story” that would take place in the Marvel world. Hennig’s project would be set in WWII and include an ensemble cast with four playable characters, including Steve Rogers / Captain America and Azzuri / Black Panther, according to a Disney and Marvel games presentation that unveiled the project a year after it was first teased. Despite having four playable characters, we found out that this project will not have cooperative gameplay.

Epic’s Game Developer Conference 2024

At the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco today, Epic presented their yearly State of Unreal presentation, revealing new information for both developers and players.

From a player perspective, 1943: Rise of Hydra, the new Marvel game from Skydance New Media and Amy Hennig, was undoubtedly the main draw of the event. The story-driven action-adventure game, which takes place during World War II, features Captain America and Black Panther.

In addition to introducing the game, Hennig was present to showcase some of the new Unreal Engine effects that are included in it. One such feature is Nanite adaptive tessellation, which enables developers to create complex environment effects like tire tracks or footprints in real time using shader logic and very little geometry.

She additionally demonstrated a fire in a barrel to draw attention to new heterogeneous particle effects. She pointed out how the flames illuminated the ensuing smoke plumes, which in turn cast shadows on the surroundings and the individuals.

Not only have they been added to the Unreal Engine, but Epic VP of Engineering Simon Tourangeau also presented many new rendering technologies that will be included in the soon-to-be-released Unreal Engine 5.4, such as motion matching technology for seamless character animation transitions. Since December, Epic has been integrating the capability into Unreal Engine. To celebrate, the company is offering 500+ motion-captured animations that are compatible with the MetaHuman rig, free of charge, to all Unreal Engine developers.

Additionally, attendees were given brief previews of three games—Funcom’s massively multiplayer online game Dune Awakening, Zynga’s four-on-four shooter Star Wars Hunters, and Chrono Studio’s massively multiplayer online game Chrono Odyssey—that focused on different Unreal Engine capabilities.

Will the MCU ever end?

With a massive, interrelated tale that spans many movies and television series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has enthralled fans for more than 20 years. However, with the Infinity Saga coming to a close and new heroes emerging, fans are left wondering if the MCU will ever come to an end.

Though formal confirmation is pending, indications are that the MCU will survive. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, has hinted at a potential 2032 storyline extension by teasing it. Furthermore, there are countless opportunities for new characters and storylines in the comics’ source material.

The popularity of the MCU ultimately determines its future. Marvel Studios is likely to keep creating new storylines in this cherished world as long as viewers are interested.