Tutorial — Blueprints for Augmented Traveler

Augmented Traveler local tutorial. Back to Unreal — Tutorials

How we use Blueprints (Unreal's visual scripting) and C++, and what Epic's move to UE6 and Verse means for us.

1. Is Blueprint going away?

Not in UE5, and not at the start of UE6. What Epic has said:

Date	Statement
Jan 2024	Tim Sweeney: UE6 will be UE5's tools plus Verse, which will come as a tool alongside C++ and Blueprints
17 June 2026 (State of Unreal)	"UE5 plus UEFN equals UE6." UE6 Early Access is targeted for the end of 2027. UE6 moves the gameplay programming model to Verse
22 June 2026, The Road to UE6	"Actors and Blueprints will be in early versions of UE6. Eventually, these will be deprecated when the new framework is sufficiently mature, and you'll have conversion tools." Full UE6 is expected 12–18 months after Early Access. No further UE5 release is planned after 5.8 (a 5.9 only if needed)

UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite) uses Verse and doesn't use Blueprints. That is where the idea that "Blueprints are going away" comes from. We are not building in UEFN.

What this means for us:

Stay on UE 5.8 with Blueprints and C++ for this production and the next few figures. 5.8 is a long-lived base.
Don't wait for Verse, and don't try to use it now: there is no Verse in UE 5.8.
Keep logic in data and standard systems so it converts easily later:
- State Tree for the program clock and idle behaviour;
- Level Sequences for timed content;
- Data Assets for per-figure settings (question-bank IDs, timings, voices).
Keep Blueprints thin, calling small functions. Put heavy or reusable logic in C++ plug-ins (the conversation client, logging).
The CTO tracks the UE6 stream (Epic publishes UE6 development on GitHub) and decides when to plan a port. That is likely no earlier than 2028–2029.

2. When to use Blueprint and when C++

Use Blueprint for	Use C++ for
Wiring a level: starting sequences, reacting to visitor presence	The conversation client (network, streaming audio, retries)
Per-figure glue: which sequence, which idle set	Logging and analytics, the offline fallback
UI (UMG): captions, "ask a question" prompts, staff menu	Kiosk watchdog and hardening
Prototypes	Anything performance-critical on headsets

3. Studio Blueprint conventions

Names: BP_AT_<Thing>, with functions and variables in PascalCase. Group nodes with comment boxes titled by purpose.
One responsibility per Blueprint:
- BP_AT_Figure (child of the MetaHuman Blueprint);
- BP_AT_ProgramDirector (runs the program State Tree);
- BP_AT_CaptionUI.
Communication:
- use Event Dispatchers and Blueprint Interfaces, not direct casts across the level;
- use Gameplay Tags for states (Program.Monologue, Program.QA.Listening).
No logic in the Level Blueprint except bootstrapping. Levels change per surface; directors don't.
Settings live in Data Assets (DA_AT_<Figure>_Program): monologue list, idle set, voice ID, caption style.
Reviews: the CTO or Unreal engineer reviews every Blueprint change to directors and figures.

4. Practice exercise

Complete Epic's Your First Game in Unreal Engine (Blueprint timers and events).
Make BP_AT_Test_Director:
- on BeginPlay it starts a 10-second timer;
- when the timer ends, it fires an Event Dispatcher OnProgramStep.
Make a text actor that binds to OnProgramStep and changes its text.
Move the 10-second value into a Data Asset.

Sources

80 Level, Tim Sweeney on UE6 and Verse (Jan 2024): https://80.lv/articles/tim-sweeney-about-unreal-engine-6-ue5-verse
GamesBeat, State of Unreal 2026 (UE5 + UEFN = UE6): https://gamesbeat.com/unreal-engine-6-will-combine-ue5-and-uefn-into-a-unified-engine-state-of-unreal/
Epic, State of Unreal 2026 top news: https://www.unrealengine.com/news/state-of-unreal-2026-top-news-from-the-show
Epic, The Road to UE6 (22 June 2026): https://www.unrealengine.com/news/the-road-to-ue-6
Epic, Your First Game in Unreal Engine: https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/your-first-game-in-unreal-engine
Full list: Sources — 2026-09-19