MAGIC of Material in UE5 https://linktr.ee/cghow #UnrealEngine #RealtimeVFX

By Matt Novak Published May 14, 2025 | Comments (1) | Elon Musk holds up an Air Force One stuffed toy as he walks from the presidential helicopter Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on February 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. © Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images Elon Musk has repeatedly said he wants his artificial intelligence to be the “best” source of truth. But whatever is happening with his Grok AI right now is something else entirely. In fact, Grok seems to be obsessed with so-called “white genocide,” a far-right conspiracy theory, and anything you ask it to fact check seems to generate garbage about South African farmers supposedly being murdered for their race. First spotted by New York Times investigations journalist Aric Toler, Gizmodo was able to confirm this bizarre glitch was happening with our own experiment Wednesday. We searched Musk’s social media platform X for the term “puppy” and saw a very innocuous tweet from Brian Stack, a comedy writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “Happy #NationalPetDay to and from Holly, seen here a few months ago with razor-sharp puppy teeth,” Stack wrote in a tweet from 2024. Naturally, the tweet included a photo of Stack’s adorable puppy. We replied to that tweet with “@grok is this true?” and its response was indeed about white genocide in South Africa. @BrianStack153 The claim of a "white genocide" in South Africa is highly contested. Some sources, like AfriForum, report high farm murder rates—over 4,000 since 1994—suggesting white farmers are disproportionately targeted. The song "Kill the Boer" and political rhetoric add to… — Grok (@grok) May 14, 2025 White genocide is the myth perpetrated by neo-Nazis and white supremacists that white people are being exterminated by non-white people around the globe. The conspiracy theory often places the blame for this non-existent genocide on Jews, a people who did in fact experience a genocide at the hands of the Nazis. Why is Grok doing this? That part is unclear, but if we had to guess, it probably has something to do with Elon Musk’s recent tweets. The billionaire, who was born in South Africa, quote-tweeted an account that claimed to show a road in the African nation with white crosses, each representing a white person who’s been killed. Musk’s tweet has received 43 million views at the time of this writing. The claim isn’t true, because the crosses don’t just represent white people and instead represent people of all races who are farmers. And the top question to that tweet tags Grok with the words “fact check.” The AI responded: The Witkruis Monument’s crosses honor farm attack victims of all races, not just white farmers as claimed. From 2010 to August 2023, there were 4,308 farm attacks and 806 murders, but these are part of South Africa’s broader crime issue, with over 19,000 murders in 2019. Racial motivations are debated—some cite historical tensions, while the government attributes attacks to general crime. Persecution claims for white South Africans are complex. The government denies systematic targeting, noting their economic privilege, but some feel threatened. The US granted asylum to 54 white Afrikaners in 2025, citing discrimination, though this is contested. Many white South Africans don’t feel persecuted and see asylum offers as unnecessary. Grok has previously fact-checked Musk about white genocide, as it did a couple of months ago. “The legacy media never mentions white genocide in South Africa, because it doesn’t fit their narrative that whites can be victims,” Musk wrote on March 24. Grok fact-checked the tweet and said that no trustworthy sources back up Musk’s claims. The X user who first asked Grok the question back in March followed up today asking if anything had changed, and Grok wrote, “no credible evidence supports it.” Musk, as you may recall, is a fan of Nazi-style salutes, which may help explain his emotional investment in the concept of a white genocide. The idea of white genocide against farmers in South Africa has been percolating in U.S. culture this week, since President Donald Trump’s administration declared Afrikaners as “refugees” and flew them to the U.S. Trump signed an executive order based on the conspiracy theory, and the first batch of white South Africans landed in the U.S. on Monday, according to the New York Times. Newly arrived South Africans listen to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar (R) deliver welcome statements in a hangar at Atlantic Aviation Dulles near Washington Dulles International Airport on May 12, 2025 in Dulles, Virginia. © Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Gizmodo’s test of Grok on Wednesday didn’t get a response about “white genocide” for everything. We also tried responding “is this true” to the Dril candles tweet, one of the most iconic posts in social media history. We were excited to finally learn whether Dril actually paid $3,600 for candles. “The budgeting scenario in @dril’s post is not true; it’s satire meant to humorously exaggerate spending, like $3,600 on candles, which is unrealistic for most,” Grok responded. “It comments on consumer behavior, prioritizing non-essentials over needs, and has become a popular meme with over 59,000 retweets. Your query likely tests if I can spot the joke, and I can confirm it’s not a real budget but a comedic take.” It seems very likely that other X users have asked Grok about this tweet before, given its popularity, so that may explain why it provided a response that had nothing to do with South Africa. Asking Grok about a recent article from Time magazine also gave a normal response. But we don’t know what’s happening. Even on its best days, AI can be a black box and spout nonsense. As Aric Toler’s thread shows, Grok is completely obsessed with white genocide today. X didn’t respond to questions emailed on Wednesday. Gizmodo will update this article if we hear back. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By Matt Novak Published May 14, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published May 13, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published May 13, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published May 13, 2025 By Matt Novak Published May 13, 2025 By Ed Cara Published May 13, 2025

This Short film was made entirely with Unreal Engine 5 :fire: And the whole thing was rendered with Lumen in under 30 minutes, which is mind-blowing! We harnessed all of Unreal’s latest tools & features to bring this t…

While EA Motive has been quiet about its ongoing development of a game based on the Iron Man franchise, a new job listing has been spotted on EA’s jobs website that indicates that single-player will be a major component of the game. The job listing is for a Level Designer that would be in charge of designing “major singleplayer levels”. Along with designing levels, the responsibilities for the job posting include bringing the levels through every phase of development, from concept all the way up to polishing. The level designer will also need to incorporate feedback from research and playtest data, while also communicating with the rest of the team when it comes to feedback on the levels they design. According to the posting, the position requires a potential level designer to have experience with single-player action RPG titles, as well as creative skills when it comes to conceptualising and designing environments. The posting also requires familiarity with Epic’s Unreal Engine. The last time EA Motive spoke about Iron Man was with general manager Patrick Klaus revealing that the team in the studio working on the game had hit a major internal milestone. In his update, Klaus mentioned that the project, led by Olivier Proulx and Ian Frazier, has laid “a robust foundation for the journey ahead.” The major internal milestone would likely have to do with the pre-production phase of the development of Iron Man. Back in October 2023, Klaus had revealed that EA Motive was still in the early stages of the game’s development, having started work on the title after wrapping up the Dead Space remake earlier that year. “Since [Dead Space’s launch], our focus has switched to the Iron Man project, giving us the opportunity to work (and play!) with another extraordinary property,” Klaus wrote back then. “We’re still early in pre-production and taking our time to make sure we set the best possible foundation for development. But already, we’re finding so many opportunities to explore story, design and gameplay with Iron Man, and it’s exciting to see the fantasy start coming alive.” While we don’t yet know too much about the Iron Man project, back in 2023, author Ryan North had announced that he was joining the writing team for the game. Nolan, who has worked on a host of comic books (Jughead, Adventure Time, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) as well as 2022 video game Lost in Random, said that “You are not ready for how amazing this game is going to be.” Owing to the general silence regarding the game, EA had confirmed that development on Iron Man, along with another project based on superhero Black Panther, hadn’t been cancelled. The statement came in light of lay-offs at the time affecting 670 employees throughout the company. Currently, no further details about EA Motive’s Iron Man game have been revealed, including what platforms it would be coming to, or even a potential launch window. Going by EA’s general multiplatform release strategy, however, the title is likely being made for PC and consoles.

MAGIC of Material in UE5 https://linktr.ee/cghow #UnrealEngine #RealtimeVFX

Amber RutherfordSenior EditorAmber RutherfordSenior EditorPublished14 May 2025TagsShowcase Your Product to Our Creative AudienceLet's TalkDaniel Sarapp shared the outcome of his first experience with XGen.Daniel SarappThis terrifying creature bears little resemblance to mole rats, or "sand puppies," which look like walruses and primarily feed on large tubers. Daniel Sarapp crafted this humanoid mole rat using ZBrush, Maya, Substance 3D Painter, and Unreal Engine 5. It's also his first time working with XGen, which added a perfect touch to the design.Daniel SarappDaniel SarappDaniel SarappDaniel SarappDaniel SarappHave a look at Daniel's other works and visit his ArtStation page for more:Also, join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.

Senior Gameplay ProgrammerEpic GamesLondon, England, United Kingdom2 hours agoApplyWHAT MAKES US EPIC?At the core of Epic’s success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it’s building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we’re always innovating.Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We’re constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.PROGRAMMING - SPECIAL PROJECTSWhat We DoThe Special Projects team at Epic is responsible for executing high-impact projects that push the envelope to define the future of real-time graphics and gaming technology (The Matrix Awakens, Lumen in the Land of Nanite). In collaboration with the Unreal Engine team, we strive to put our technology and knowledge into the hands of users, empowering developers and content creators with the most powerful suite of real-time tools in the world.What You'll DoEpic Games is looking for a Senior Gameplay Programmer to join the team. As a member of our team, you will play a critical role in driving future projects that push boundaries, explore new technology, and help define the future of Unreal Engine. As a Senior Gameplay Programmer, you will define and implement the technical aspects of interactive projects and systems while collaborating with Programming teams and content creators to create cutting-edge interactive experiences.In this role, you willDesign, implement, and support new features or systems that interact with or extend Gameplay, Game AI, Sound, and Animation systemsExperiment with game design and use rapid prototyping while ensuring that strong architectural and algorithmic decisions are madePrototype and iterate on features and be willing to accept and respond to critical feedback while ensuring that strong architectural and algorithmic decisions are made; write robust, maintainable codeWork closely with art and design to create and iterate on gameplay featuresCollaborate with Unreal Engine teams to help guide ongoing feature developmentOptimize and fix bugs in existing gameplay systemsContribute ideas toward all aspects of the game’s production and developmentWhat we're looking forExperience developing games professionally and shipping AAA titlesFearless when it comes to diving into complex systems and existing code basesA keen analytical mind with strong problem-solving skillsStrong C++ skills and the ability to code and architect gameplay mechanics and systemsWell-versed in games and the ability to articulate what is strong/weak about the design of existing gamesAdept at delivering and responding to constructive feedbackSelf-motivated, strong work ethic, and the ability to work independentlyCreativity in problem-solving and the ability to think outside of the established solutionsKnowledge of ML/AI and its potential applicationsSomeone who is user-focused, passionate, solutions-focused, and innovative. These traits equal success at Epic and influence everything we doEPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFEWe pay 100% for benefits for both employees and dependents and offer coverage for supplemental medical, dental, vision, critical illness, telemedicine, Life and AD&D, long term disability insurance as well as weekly indemnity (short term disability) and a retirement savings plan with a competitive employer match. In addition to the EAP (employee assistance program), we also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents.ABOUT USEpic Games spans across 25 countries with 46 studios and 4,500+ employees globally. For over 25 years, we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Pixel Overlay Material in Unreal Engine 5 https://linktr.ee/cghow #UnrealEngine #RealtimeVFX #pixel