Epic Games has acquired 3Lateral, a leading developer of digital human tech, for an undisclosed fee.
The Serbia-based company offers a variety of services including character conceptualization, face rigging, 3D scanning, and modeling. It has worked on well-known games including Hellblade, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Grand Theft Auto V, and Batman: Arkham VR.
Following the deal, 3Lateral will continue supporting its partners in the film, television, and games industries while working to advance support for virtual creatures and humans in Unreal Engine.
“Real-time 3D experiences are reshaping the entire entertainment industry, and digital human technology is at the forefront,” commented Epic founder and CEO, Tim Sweeney. “Fortnite shows that 200,000,000 people can experience a 3D world together. Reaching the next level requires capturing, personalizing, and conveying individual human faces and emotions”
The acquisition will also see 3Lateral founder and director Vladimir Mastilovic lead Epic’s worldwide digital human efforts, while Epic also hopes its presence in Serbia will allow it to recruit new technical and creative talent in the region.