New Template Variants in UE 5.6

With the release of Unreal Engine 5.6, Epic Games introduces a very practical feature for game developers: Template Variants.
These are preconfigured versions of the classic project templates (First-Person, Third-Person, Top Down, Vehicle), designed to accelerate the creative process by providing ready-made setups for various game genres.

First-Person Templates: Horror or Arena

The First-Person category has been expanded with two new variants:

• Survival Horror: dark atmosphere, dynamic lighting, flashlight, sprint system, and built-in flickering. Perfect for building immersive horror experiences without having to configure every detail manually.

• Arena Shooter: a fast-paced combat environment with weapon pickups, ammo UI, and pre-set AI enemies.

Third-Person Templates: Action, Sidescroller, or Platformer

The Third-Person variants are particularly rich and versatile:

• Combat: includes a combo system, enemy lock-on, health bar UI, and melee combat mechanics.

• Side Scroller: fixed camera, constrained movement plane, item pickups.

• Platformer: wall-jumping, dash, and dynamic movement.

These variants are ideal for testing out different mechanics without having to build everything from scratch.

Top-Down Templates: Strategy or Arcade

For top-down enthusiasts, the new variants include:

• Strategy: grid-based movement, drag-to-select units, orthographic camera. A great base for RTS or simulation games.

• Twin Stick Shooter: independent aiming, shooting and bomb mechanics, integrated score system. Perfect for arcade or bullet hell prototypes.

In just a few minutes, you can test gameplay typical of strategy or top-down shooter games without unnecessary complexity.

Vehicle Templates: Racing or Exploration

The Vehicle category receives two exciting variants:

• Offroad: open-world terrain, spline-based roads, and RVT optimization for the scene. Great for simulations or adventure driving games.

• Time Trial: includes checkpoints, lap timer, and HUD. Designed for racing or arcade-style prototypes.

These templates let you quickly explore vehicle physics and driving dynamics on realistic terrains—no need to start from scratch.

Why does it matter?

These variants are not just “presets”: they offer a genre-specific approach to prototyping.
Whether you're working on a horror game, platformer, shooter, or strategy title, you start with a solid, functional foundation tailored to your chosen genre.

For more information, you can find the official Unreal Engine announcement here.

N.B.: start from minute 16:07 of the video