Encrypting uasset

I read a lot about encryption in the Hub and the consent seems to be that it’s not really used anywhere, also AES encryption routines are there, however they are buggy and don’t really work. Besides if at all, this would apply only to encrypting a PAK file as a whole. PAKs are really not a great thing to begin with. In my case, and I am working on a small project, my PAK file is already 8 Gb and gives me a headache with regard to making a setup.exe let alone patching the customers later. I have therefore decided to deliver an unPAKed game.

Now my question is: What about encoding the uassets alone? When you create a shipping version all the assets are copied to the target directory anyway. While doing so, the packer could easily encrypt each uasset individually. The same key can then be compiled into the shipping version of the EXE to decrypt every uasset when it is being loaded.

It could even be made with some callback functions so we can provide our own encryption routine of the ones in UE are buggy and are no high priority for a fix as some staffers have said.

Is there a chance we will ever see that? It seems to me a simple thing. Is there a central routine to write / read an uasset where this could be hooked in?

There isnt even a guide online, to encrypt ur pak file, let alone ur uassets. I dont think there is a way to do that (for now) maybe they will add it in the future, faaaaaaaaar future.

Quite frankly, if I were an artist I would think twice about releasing my hard made graphics for UE. there is absolutely no way to prevent anybody who receives an UE game from ripping the original graphics.
It’s not that hard for them to build in a simple decryption routine into the asset reader and then a tool to encrypt all uassets in a directory tree.
Maybe instead of adding more fancy optical effects which you have to explain to people so that they are even able to see the differences in the “with” and “without” screenshots, they should work a bit more on the bread and butter stuff

unbelievable. How is this not a top priority? I am totally messing with a game’s assets right now and cant believe a company is unable to prevent their work from being copied and picked apart. wow

Yes, it is a terrible situation. I could imagine it would be a nice money spinner for a plugin author if this could be added to a project.
Alas I don’t know anything about the engine’s internal working so I can not help with it. In the end it’s not me who looses his intellectual property, it’s the marketplace authors