Epic's MetaHuman hyper-realistic character creator now in Early Access

Enter the uncanny valley with Epic's MetaHuman, a character creator using the Unreal Engine that allows artists to make hyper-realistic characters.

Video game characters are about to look more realistic. Thanks to Epic's Unreal Engine-powered MetaHuman Creator, realistic humans in video games are now more reachable. However, these realistic-looking designs from Epic's engine still look something right out of the uncanny valley. Hopefully, now that the tool is now in Early Access, better artists can create realistic renditions that are less creepy-looking.

EPIC GAME'S UNREAL ENGINE-POWERED METAHUMAN CREATOR NOW IN EARLY ACCESS

Introducing MetaHumans—the next-generation of digital humans. #UE4

Animation and mocap-ready, #MetaHumans will be created by you, using the new easy-to-use MetaHuman Creator.

Get a sneak peak at this groundbreaking new tool:https://t.co/oF9yUcNByn

— Unreal Engine (@UnrealEngine) February 10, 2021

Epic Games gave us our first look at the MetaHuman Creator with a preview last February. While the tool has only received widespread attention recently, it's a tool that Epic Games has been using over the past couple of years in different projects. Now, anyone in the public can use the MetaHuman Creator. Epic Games announced that the MetaHuman Creator is now entering Early Access, providing aspiring artists access to the tool for the first time.

There doesn't seem to be any restrictions on who can join the Early Access. However, since the tool is cloud-based, Epic needs to manage the influx of users who want to take a gander at this tool. Epic Games is giving staggered access to people to manage traffic. If you haven't registered yet, you can fall in line by answering this sign-up form.

Meanwhile, Epic Games prepared a document for those of you who are serious about using this tool in your future projects. The document goes through the basics of the MetaHuman Creator – with how to's and various guides. The MetaHuman Creator is a great tool for artists to use, especially for those who have the luxury of motion capture. Adding the two technologies together can revolutionize gaming. Let's just hope that this doesn't lead to more nightmare fuel in video games or other forms of media. Say no to uncanny models, please.