Custom Real-Time Destruction System For Unreal Engine 5 With No Chaos Involved

Antonio Lattanzio, a veteran developer whose career has ranged from classic platforms like the Amiga and Atari to today's PC and console systems, has unveiled his latest project, which aims to rethink destruction in Unreal Engine 5 and unlock new gameplay possibilities.

While many studios depend solely on Unreal Engine 5's Chaos Physics for destruction, Antonio's system replaces it for tasks like fragmentation, mesh breaking, and procedural debris generation, providing developers with precise control over how objects fracture and react upon impact. However, it still utilizes the engine's built-in physics for gravity and collision, maintaining a balance between custom flexibility and engine-level stability.

As Antonio shared, this approach strikes a powerful middle ground, allowing creative destruction while avoiding the overhead or unpredictability of full Chaos simulation. Developers can adjust how materials fracture, how and where debris is generated, and how structural damage propagates, all while maintaining robust performance and compatibility with multiplayer gameplay.

Antonio also reached out to us to share more details about his project, explaining that he drew inspiration from the legendary Red Faction series, renowned for its gameplay-driven destruction. However, this system is designed for the next generation, fully integrated with Unreal Engine 5 features like Lumen, and made to be lightweight and keep things smooth and responsive.

As the developer put it, "The goal isn't just to break things, it's to allow the world to respond to the player." One of the system's key features is its modularity, which allows for tight integration with gameplay systems. It supports custom fracture rules based on damage type, material, or weapon, includes dynamic structural weakening, where actions like removing a support beam can cause a collapse, and procedural debris generation, which creates immersive post-destruction environments.

This system is written in C++ and operates multithreaded, with performance reported to remain steady between 100 and 200 FPS on NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3090. The demo above was recorded on a GTX 1050 Ti, delivering solid performance. Right now, Antonio is working on implementing damage feedback hooks for AI reactions, sound triggers, environmental systems, Nanite support, and other features.

Antonio may eventually release this system for purchase, but it will first be implemented in AstroDigger, the game he's developing under his indie label, Mental Drink. He's also working on the arcade shooter Cosmorons at Blind Squirrel Games. Feel free to reach out or share your thoughts, and follow Antonio Lattanzio's progress on LinkedIn or X/Twitter.

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