[Feature Request] Granular URC Permissions: Protecting IP and Enabling the "Commission Economy"

General Feedback & Requests
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The Problem As a solo developer working in UEFN, the current state of Unreal Revision Control (URC) is a major bottleneck for growth. URC is currently an all or nothing system. If I want to hire a specialist to help with a specific part of my island, such as a Verse coder, a terrain artist, or a prop designer, I have to give them full access to my entire project repository.

This creates a massive security risk and a high barrier to entry for the commission culture that makes other creative platforms thrive. We need a way to hire talent without giving away the keys to the entire project.

Proposed Solution: Granular Contributor Scopes

We need a permission-based layer within URC that allows the Project Owner to define exactly what a team member can see and do.

  1. Folder Level Restrictions and Import Only Access Owners should be able to designate a specific folder where the collaborator has Write access. Everywhere else should be Read Only by default. This allows them to see the environment for context without being able to move or edit existing assets.

  2. Anti-Migration and Export Locks We need a Lock Intellectual Property toggle for the project owner. This would disable the Migrate and Bulk Export functions for any user marked as a Contributor. They should only be able to export assets that they personally imported during that session.

  3. Creator Ownership Deletion Logic Contributors should only be allowed to delete assets that they themselves have checked into URC. This prevents a hired artist from accidentally or intentionally wiping out the main map landscape or core blueprints.

  4. Spatial Workspaces (Island Zoning) This would be a game changer: the ability to define a Permission Volume in the viewport. A collaborator would only be able to select, move, or place actors within these specific coordinates. If I hire someone to build a specific arena, I should be able to lock them into that specific zone so they do not touch the rest of my island.

Why this matters for UEFN The creator economy thrives when solo devs can scale safely. If I cannot protect my custom assets and Verse code, I am forced to do everything myself, which slows down the quality and frequency of map releases.

By implementing these security features, Epic would empower a massive wave of collaboration, allowing us to hire freelancers with total peace of mind. This is essential for the growth of the platform.

Is anyone else holding back on hiring help because of these risks? I would love to hear from other solo devs on how you are managing this currently.

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I think the current setup assumes that one will only work with trusted people. You’re sharing the project assets with them, and they will share their work with you. They trust that you’ll pay them a salary at the end of the month, their revenue share, or whatever else you agreed on.

If I really cannot trust someone, I will simply not give them access to the project. They can do their work on their empty project and get paid when they are ready to deliver (by transferring their project ownership/work).

That said, I totally agree with your proposal. It will make collaboration a lot easier. I would also like Epic to support a way to share revenue through them. For example, creators can agree on the percentage each gets for a selected period and lock it. Epic then distributes the revenue following the agreement once the project is released. I need to explain this proposal in a separate post, though.

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Hey @EXI5T_Chillz and @FragileNucleusGames. I’m Garren from the URC team. Just wanted to say thanks so much for this detailed feedback.

While nuanced permissions with in a project/repository are not on the near-term roadmap, its great to know that its of value to creators, so we can consider it in future planning.

It’d be great to discuss these needs/ideas you’ve outlined a bit further if you’re open to it at some point?

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