Gaijin Compares Dagor Engine with Unreal Engine 5 in Stunning Showcase
Gaijin Entertainment has released a new video comparing its Dagor Engine—free and open-source since last year—with Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5, one of the industry's most powerful tools. The comparison showcases "East District", a demo map from Gaijin's unannounced project, rendered in both engines. To encourage developer interest, Gaijin also released the full code for one of Dagor's multiplayer frameworks, complete with sample art assets.
The Demo: Unreal Engine 5 vs. Dagor Engine
Gaijin collaborated with Hooks Creative Studio, which created the FPS map East District from scratch using Unreal Engine 5 assets like Megascan and Photogrammetry. The map was then rebuilt in the Dagor Engine to compare visuals and performance.
Performance:
Dagor's version ran faster while delivering equal—or arguably better—visual fidelity. It uses real-time global illumination and advanced anti-aliasing, and supports DLSS, XeSS, and FSR technologies for added versatility.Resolution:
Dagor operates at native resolution in most setups, while Unreal Engine 5 often relies on upscaling, demonstrating Dagor's efficiency.
While Gaijin acknowledges that Unreal's version could see optimizations from experienced developers, the showcase highlights Dagor’s advantages in raw performance and flexibility.
Gaijin Entertainment hopes this showcase will inspire developers to explore Dagor Engine. Already the backbone of popular titles like War Thunder and Enlisted, Dagor’s newly released tools provide a unique opportunity for studios looking to balance high performance with open-source accessibility.
With its unannounced project, Gaijin Entertainment appears to be positioning Dagor Engine as a competitive alternative to industry titans like Unreal Engine. Will this open-source engine become a go-to choice for developers? Only time will tell.
What are your thoughts on Dagor Engine’s performance compared to Unreal Engine 5? Could it be a viable alternative for indie and AAA developers alike? Let us know in the comments below!
