Let’s be real for a second: We all want to build the next massive extraction shooter or a deep, story-driven RPG that pushes the limits of what’s possible in UEFN. But right now, there is a massive wall standing in the way of thousands of creative minds, and its name is Verse.
I know Verse is Epic’s “baby,” designed for the future of the Metaverse, but for the average person trying to jump in and make a game today? It’s like trying to learn advanced calculus just to balance a checkbook.
The Verse Problem: A High Barrier to Entry
Verse is a functional-logic language that feels alien to almost everyone who isn’t a professional software engineer. While it’s powerful, it’s also incredibly “stiff” for beginners. Instead of focusing on game design, we’re spending hours fighting with syntax and trying to understand concurrency models that don’t make sense to a hobbyist.
The Proof is in the Editor
We’ve already seen what Python can do for our workflow. Since Python editor scripting was introduced, creators have been building incredible automation: handling mass asset imports, batch-renaming, and custom utility widgets that save hours of manual labor.
If we move Python from just “editor scripting” to runtime gameplay scripting, the ecosystem would explode. Python is the universal language of AI; integrating smart NPC behaviors, dynamic procedural generation, or LLM-driven narratives would be a reality for everyone, not just a technical elite.
The Nightmare Reality Check
Look at the friction Verse adds to the simplest tasks compared to the logic we could have with Python:
Task: Check if a player is valid and fully heal them.
The Verse Way:
Code snippet
if (Player := self.GetPlayer(), Character := Player.GetFortCharacter[]): Character.SetHealth(100.0)(Why do we need failable expressions
[]and:=just to set a number? It’s unnecessarily complex for a beginner.)
The Python Way:
Python
if player: player.health = 100(It’s readable. It’s logical. Anyone can understand this in five seconds.)
The Case for Python Gameplay Scripting
Python is the “language of the people.” It’s taught in schools, it’s used in almost every industry, and it reads like English. If Epic introduced Python for runtime gameplay scripting, the ecosystem would change overnight:
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Accessibility: A 13-year-old with a great idea could script a power-up in 10 minutes rather than 10 hours.
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Massive Library: Imagine being able to use existing logic and tutorials from the vast Python community.
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Faster Prototyping: We could iterate on game loops at lightning speed.
The Hard Truth: Kill Verse, Save the Community
It’s time for Epic to stop treating the community like beta testers for a language nobody asked for. Epic needs to immediately halt development on Verse features and pivot every ounce of engineering power into making Python accessible for gameplay. The current path is a disaster. The gap between “pro coders” and “map makers” isn’t just a gap anymore; it’s a canyon that’s swallowing the creativity of the platform. If UEFN is supposed to be the “YouTube of Games,” why is Epic gatekeeping the tools behind a language that requires a Computer Science degree?
Democratize game dev. Give us Python. Stop forcing Verse down our throats before the most creative minds in the community just give up and move elsewhere.
