Engine maker Godot has formally kicked off a new development phase with the launch of Godot 4.6.
The latest iteration of the increasingly popular engine will strive to deliver more polish, quality-of-life improvements, tighter integration of industry standards, and performance optimization.
The intention is to create a game engine that better serves developers and their workflow.
"The new editor theme lets your projects take center stage, while dozens of improvements across the board reduce friction and speed up everyday development," reads a blog post.
"Every aspect, from loading assets to editing, debugging, exporting, and testing, has received some love to keep you focused on creating and minimize the time you spend wrestling with UI, or fiddling with external tools and plugins."
Other notable tweaks include Jolt Physics—the standalone physic engine behind titles like Death Stranding 2—being upgraded from an 'experimental' option in Godot 4.4 to the default option for all 3D projects in Godot 4.6.
In addition, the engine's docking system has been unified to allow users to tailor and rearrange interface panels to suit their needs.
A major Screen Space Reflection (SSR) overhaul will also deliver what Godot describes as a "significant leap" in realism, visual stability, and performance. "Not only will your reflective surfaces look more realistic with better handling of roughness, but the effect will run faster too," continues the blog post.
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Unique Node IDs have been introduced to ensure Godot can track them reliably even when scenes are reorganized or refactored, while devs will also be able to embed the engine directly into their own applications by using the new LibGodot tool.
"Whether you’re building a specialized editor, a hybrid application, or embedding Godot into a larger system, LibGodot gives you the flexibility to make it work your way," adds the blog. "The initial release supports Linux, Windows, and macOS, and lays the foundation for deeper integrations and expanded platform support in future releases."
That really is just the tip of the iceberg. Visit the Godot website for a full rundown of the latest features and additions in Godot 4.6.
