I’m curious if anyone has prior knowledge about how long it typically takes for the Lyra Starter game to be updated to utilize all the new features in the latest UE patch, in this case, UE5.4 (e.g., motion matching).
Additionally, I’ve been looking around but can’t seem to find any dedicated forums, Discords, or other communities focused on Lyra. If anyone could point me to any, that would be great.
Any insights are appreciated!
Personally i have no idea when, but from what happened in the past:
It may be NEVER Epic creates example projects like Lyra. Then they update those projects for a bit, then move to new features. There are multiple projects in graveyard that were never updated to newest build.
I hope it is not yet time for Lyra to go there, and i am also waiting for new animations to be added there.
These devs are actively working on Lyra:
Xist
Nancediaries
Bastian Dev - YouTube
Gamestrilla - YouTube
I found just a few developers working with Discord servers:
Lyra Net Lyra Dev Net
CT Game Discord
Got ya, good to know.
Is there anywhere or anyone we can reach out to, in order to inquire if Lyra has been shelved?
Awesome, thanks, I’ll check these out.
I don’t think Lyra needs updates to use the new features.
Other than the update allowing one to create a 5.4 project.
This page shows some version history.
Definitely, I was just hoping I could refer to all the Lyra best practices for all the new UE5.4 features so that I could continue building my project properly.
I think it’s abandoned in favor of UEFF (which was released in time Lyra stopped getting any updates mostly) because why would allow people having their own Fortnite if you can just hook them on your own Fortnite. It’s better to have 100% of VBucks and not just 5%.
But it’s just my conspiracy theory…
Short answer: there’s no reliable timeline—and historically, you shouldn’t expect Lyra to be updated quickly (or even fully) for every new UE feature.
From past patterns and community discussions, Epic treats Lyra more like a reference/sample project, not something guaranteed to stay in lockstep with each engine release. As one forum reply pointed out, some sample projects get a few updates and then are effectively left behind as Epic shifts focus to newer examples. (Epic Developer Community Forums)
A few key points that should help set expectations:
No fixed update cycle
There’s no public schedule for Lyra updates. Even major features like Motion Matching in UE 5.4 aren’t guaranteed to be integrated into Lyra anytime soon (or at all).
You don’t actually need Lyra to “support” new features
UE features like Motion Matching can be integrated into your own project independently of Lyra. In fact, Epic’s docs and examples often expect you to build these systems yourself rather than wait for Lyra to adopt them. (unreal-mmo-dev.com)
Epic often releases new sample projects instead
Instead of updating Lyra, Epic sometimes showcases new tech (like animation systems) through separate samples or demos, rather than retrofitting older ones.
Community > official support for Lyra
There isn’t a single “official” Lyra community hub. Most activity is scattered:
Unreal Engine forums (you’re already in the right place)
Discords (e.g. Unreal Slackers, smaller dev-run Lyra servers)
Individual creators on YouTube / GitHub
Practical advice:
If you’re waiting for Lyra to demonstrate “best practices” for UE 5.4 features, you’ll probably be blocked for a while. A better approach is:
Use Lyra as a design reference (architecture, GAS, modular gameplay)
Implement new systems (like Motion Matching) directly using UE docs + samples
Or look for newer sample projects specifically built around those features
If Epic does update Lyra, treat it as a bonus—not something to plan your workflow around.