New Delhi, May 26 (IANS): Fortnite developer Epic Games on Wednesday announced that its 3D creation platform Unreal Engine 5 is now available in early access to game developers offering them the opportunity to start testing features and prototyping their upcoming games.

The real-time 3D creation platform Unreal Engine 5 will deliver the freedom, fidelity and flexibility to create next-generation games that will blow players' minds.

"Groundbreaking new features such as Nanite and Lumen provide a generational leap in visual fidelity, while the new World Partition system enables the creation of expansive worlds with scalable content," the company said in a statement.

"As always, we're committed to battle-testing the engine in-house, as we prepare to ship Fortnite on Unreal Engine 5 across all platforms down the line," it added.

Unreal Engine 5 is expected to ship in early 2022 and will empower creators across all industries to deliver stunning real-time content and experiences.

The early access build has only been tested on game development workflows and offers a chance for game developers to go hands-on with some of our most exciting new features.

Additional features and other improvements for all industries will be part of the full Unreal Engine 5.0 release in early 2022.

Meanwhile, the much-reported trial between Apple and Epic Games that began on May 5 was wrapped up this week except for the verdict, as the companies got involved in a legal battle over the use of an in-game payment system.

The Fortnite game was removed from App Store in August last year after the company allegedly violated rules by adding an in-game payment system aimed at depriving Apple of its commission on in-app purchases from App Store.