UPBGE 0.50 Released: Blender Game Engine Lives On With Major Enhancements

What’s New in UPBGE 0.50

Key highlights from this release include:

• GPU Skinning (Experimental): Adds support for GPU-accelerated character skinning to speed up deformation during gameplay.
• Fast AddObject: A faster, more efficient system for instancing objects in your scene, improving performance when spawning many items.
• 2D Filter Enhancements: Updated 2D filter pipeline so effects work on both the OpenGL and Vulkan backends.
• VideoTexture Improvements: The video texture module has been reworked to be compatible with both render backends.
• Pathfollowing & Steering Improvements: Smoother transitions and enhanced behavior for navigation and path following.
• Expanded Logic Nodes: Adds a Project Management tab, Move Widget Node, Toggle Tree Property Node, and improvements/refixes for existing logic nodes.
• Sound Actuator Update: Adds buffering options to improve repeated sound playback behavior.
• Plus Bug Fixes and Modern Features: Countless improvements and under-the-hood fixes, alongside everything brought in via Blender.

UPBGE 0.50 is a big step forward for anyone who wants to develop interactive games and real-time experiences directly inside Blender. By syncing with the latest Blender 5.x base and adding features like GPU skinning, faster object instancing, and enhanced logic nodes, this release proves the project is alive, evolving, and capable of supporting serious game development workflows. Whether you’re revisiting the old Blender Game Engine or trying it for the first time, now is a great time to dive into UPBGE and see what you can build.