U.K. gaming development firm licenses Epic’s Unreal engine

Cary, N.C. — Ignition Entertainment, a game development firm based in the United Kingdom, has licensed Epic Game’s Unreal Engine 3 for a new title.

The first-person shooter game will be developed by Ignition’s studio in Gainesville, Fla.

Unreal is one of the most popular game development engines in the industry and is used to help create titles for multiple platforms.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 is an extremely versatile engine,” said Jeremy Stieglitz, the game director and lead designer at Ignition Florida. “So when deciding on technology for Ignition Florida's first next-generation video game, there was no questioning that Unreal Engine 3 is the way to go.”

The game is expected to be released in late 2009. Ignition develops titles for consoles and handheld devices.

“Ignition Florida is pushing Unreal Engine 3 in a very exciting direction, especially in terms of environmental capabilities,” said Mark Rein, vice president at Epic Games. “These guys have the chops to create some remarkable games, and we have complete faith in their technical and creative abilities.”