Getting Started with UE5

Create your first project, explore the editor interface, and understand the core workflow used by every UE5 developer — from indie to AAA.

📅 Updated for UE 5.4 ⏱ 20 min read

Creating Your First Project

When you launch UE5 from the Epic Games Launcher, the Project Browser appears. From here you create a new project or open an existing one.

1. In the Project Browser, select a Category from the left column (Games, Film, Architecture, etc.).
2. Choose a Template — for a first project, Third Person is recommended as it provides a fully functional character controller.
3. Set the Project Defaults: Blueprint or C++, target quality (Maximum / Scalable), starter content.
4. Choose a Project Location and give your project a name. Avoid spaces in the path.
5. Click Create. UE5 generates the project folder structure and opens the editor.

Available Project Templates

Editor Interface Overview

The UE5 editor consists of several key panels that you will use constantly. Understanding their roles is essential before diving into content creation.

Main Viewport

The Viewport is the primary 3D view into your level. You can switch between Perspective (default), Top, Front, and Side orthographic views using the viewport drop-down in the top-left corner.

Level Outliner

The Level Outliner (top-right panel) displays a hierarchical tree of every actor in the current level. You can select, rename, reorder, hide, and lock actors from here. Actors can be organized into folders for large scenes.

Details Panel

The Details panel shows all properties of the currently selected actor or component. Properties are organized by category and can be searched using the search bar at the top. Most properties can be animated via a ⊕ pin icon that exposes them to Sequencer.

Content Browser

The Content Browser manages all project assets — meshes, textures, materials, sounds, blueprints, and more. Assets are stored in /Game/ (your project folder) and /Engine/ (built-in engine content).

Project File Structure

A fresh UE5 project contains the following directories on disk:

MyProject/
├── Content/          # All UE assets (.uasset files)
├── Config/           # INI configuration files
├── Source/           # C++ source code (if C++ project)
├── Plugins/          # Project-specific plugins
├── Saved/            # Autosaves, logs, screenshots (gitignore this)
├── Intermediate/     # Build artifacts (gitignore this)
├── DerivedDataCache/ # Shader cache (gitignore this)
└── MyProject.uproject  # Project descriptor JSON file

Playing in the Editor

UE5 supports three Play-in-Editor (PIE) modes accessible from the toolbar:

• Play (PIE) — Runs the game inside the editor viewport. Press Esc to stop.
• Simulate — Runs physics and AI without possessing a pawn. Useful for debugging level logic.
• New Editor Window — Opens the game in a standalone window at a specified resolution.