Unreal Engine 5.7: what changes in the Game Animation Sample Project

Epic Games recently released Unreal Engine 5.7, and along with the new version of the engine, they released major updates to the Game Animation Sample Project (also known as GASP).

What is the Game Animation Sample Project?

The Game Animation Sample Project is a free project that Epic releases alongside major releases of the Unreal Engine.
It's a sort of vault of ready-to-use animations and game setups: hundreds of AAA-quality animations, advanced motion systems, and configurations that you can disassemble and reuse in your projects.

The main new features introduced in UE 5.7

1. The new “Mover” system (movement and movement)

The most impactful new feature is the integration of the Moverplugin, currently in the Experimentalphase.
This system is designed to gradually replace the traditional Character Movement Componentphase.
In practice, it allows you to control the movement of the character with a better and more modern set of tools, also supporting rollback networking, i.e. the synchronization of animations in multiplayer games.

Within GASP, a new character using Mover has been added and a completely updated locomotion dataset, with around 400 new animations to enrich the possibilities of character movement and behavior.

2. Two new walking styles

With Mover distinct movement modes have been introduced:

• Simple Spring Walking Mode: simulates movement using two “springs” to give a more natural and fluid effect to walking.

• Smooth Walking Mode: a more advanced and customizable approach, with smoother rotations and transitions, which can recall the standard behavior of the old locomotion but with more control.

3. New Environment Interaction Content

The update also includes:

• A new “Smart Object” level demonstrating how to use intelligent objects in the environment (for example, benches that the character can sit on from different angles).

• Simple NPCs ready for use, demonstrating how non-player characters can interact with the environment.

4. New Movement Mechanics

Among the most visible additions is a new sliding mechanic: the character can now perform a slide on the ground, with speed variations controlled by the inclination of the ground itself.
This type of animation not only enriches the character's behavior, but also demonstrates how to extend the movement system via Blueprint.

5. Towards the future: animation control and UAF

Another interesting new feature concerns the Footplacement Control Rig, a node dedicated to foot placement via the Control Rig system.
This feature anticipates the evolution towards the future Unreal Animation Framework (UAF), a new system that promises greater integration and power in animation management (planned for UE 5.8).

The GASP project is starting to incorporate these tools to prepare the community for the transition to more modern and flexible systems, while still maintaining traditional techniques for compatibility.

You can find more information on the official Unreal Engine page here