The Matrix Awakens tech demo has been downloaded more than 6 million times – Epic Games reported on the success

As part of The Game Awards 2021 in December, Epic Games unveiled and immediately released The Matrix Awakens , a free tech demo for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 designed to showcase the power of Unreal Engine 5 .

A small but graphically powerful project allowed gamers around the world to personally touch the future of video games, and as it turned out, there were quite a few who wanted to. The Matrix: Awakening has been downloaded over 6 million times in the past two months since its release, according to an Epic Games report .

The Matrix Awakens was created with the direct participation of Lana Wachowski, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss . The development was also assisted by The Coalition studio, responsible for the Gears of War series for Xbox.

"The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience is a cinematic showcase that pushes the boundaries of what's possible with open-world interactive technologies, combining the power of new consoles and UE5."

Other Epic Games successes :

• The total number of Unreal Engine downloads in 2021 increased by almost 40% compared to a year earlier;

• Since the launch of the MetaHuman editor in February 2021, users have created over 1 million highly detailed human models;

• 48% of announced next-gen games are built on Unreal Engine;

• In total, more than 500 million Epic Games accounts have already been registered. According to the company, this should be a solid basis for creating a metaverse with interconnected virtual worlds, as in the novel "First Player 2021 increased by more than 50%;

• The share of film and television projects using the Unreal Engine increased by 1.5 times compared to 2020. Among them: Jungle Cruise, Suicide Squad, Protagonist, Mortal Kombat, Venom 2, Dune, Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Matrix: Resurrection. More are being prepared for release this year.