I can’t package any clean 5.6.0 or 5.6.1 project with the default settings. I have tried ThirdPerson, TopDown and FirstPerson templates. I CAN package any clean project on 5.5.x
My setup:
Visual Studio 17.14.12
MSVC 14.38.33130
Windows SDK 10.0.22621.0
The steps I tried:
1 - I try to package using default package settings:
use pak store: ON
use io store: ON
Windows
Development
it fails with
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
PackagingResults: Error: Unknown Error
Output log: 1 - First Package Project with Pak and IOStore - Pastebin.com
Full Exception Trace: Output Log | Pak and IOStore - Pastebin.com
1 thing draw my attention: cook time very short: 1,05s
2 - I try to just “Windows - Cook Content”
It works, but cook is still very short: 1,01s
Output Log: Windows - Cook Content - Output Log - Pastebin.com
3 - Now I try to Package Project again. Pak store ON, IO Store ON. windows - development
It fails, but the error is different.
A package store manifest or project store is required when staging to IoStore. Expected to find "whatever/path/whatever/path" Ensure that cooking was successful.
Cooking was successful: 0.89s
Output Log: 2nd try | Ouput Log | Package Project | Pak IOStore - Pastebin.com
Full Exception Trace: 2nd try | Full Exception Trace | Package Project | Pak IOStore - Pastebin.com
4 - Change settings - Problem on IoStore? Then let’s turn off IoStore on package settings
5 - Close project, delete /Binaries, /DDC, /Intermediate , /Saved. Generate VS project files and open project again
6 - Windows → Cook Content | Pak only
Cooking complete! Very short though: 1.02s: Windows - Cook Content - Output Log | Pak only - Pastebin.com
7 - Try to Package Project again. Windows, dev, pak only
Packaging Complete!
Output Log: Output Log | Pak only - Pastebin.com
Full Log.txt: Full Log | Pak Only - Pastebin.com
When I try to run the .exe, I receive the error
Game files required to initialize the global shader library are missing from:
C:/Users/User/Documents/Unreal Projects/test5_6_1FP/package_tries/package_pls/Windows/test5_6_1FP/Content/
Please make sure the game is installed correctly.
when I go to the packaged game log under /gamename/Saved/Logs/ I see this error
LogShaderLibrary: Error: Failed to initialize ShaderCodeLibrary required by the project because part of the Global shader library is missing from ../../../test5_6_1FP/Content/.
There’s no ShaderCodeLibrary anywhere. Game Log Log on Packaged Game | Pak only - Pastebin.com
I’m stuck right now.
What else did I do?
- no plugins are installed
- reinstall/verify unreal engne 5.6
- reinstall/update all VS toolchain, msvc etc
- update VS studio and Rider
- include the maps on the package settings
- turn ON “cook everything in the project content directory”
- shared the logs with gpt-5 plus, gemini pro, but nothing useful appeared
- Running RunUAT on terminal with commands like below doesn’t work either. It builds, but the shaders are still missing.
& "C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.6\Engine\Build\BatchFiles\RunUAT.bat" BuildCookRun -project="C:\Users\User\Documents\Unreal Projects\test5_6_1FP\test5_6_1FP.uproject" -nop4 -platform=Win64 -clientconfig=Development -cook -allmaps -pak -stage -package -archive -archivedirectory="C:\Builds\test5_6_1FP"