Add C# programming language

Please add C# programming language. And if you want, when will you add? I dream of programming on your “unreal engine” in C#.

There was long debate and very heated discussions on forums about it ever since UE4 released (primerly because inflow of Unity user base in to Unreal that are used to C#). There was also attempts to add support for C# by 3rd parties, but it didn’t come to fruition (primeryly EULA restricting such plugins to be free)

In past since very beginning of UE1, Unreal Engine had it’s own scripting language called UnrealScript which in syntax was similar to Java (so inherently to C# too), but in UE4 was ditched in favor of blueprints and opening native layer of UE4 by giving access engine source and ability to extend it by making your own code modules. Since way APIs are formulated didn’t change ever since UE1, coding in C++ does not feel much different how UnrealScript looked like (that was my first feeling when i jumped from UE3 to UE4), only difference is it now C++ and you got access to everything while UnrealScript required bindings same as Blueprints does. So most likely Epic though this would satisfy users, while avoiding need to maintain 2 scripting systems (which was the case with UE3, Blueprint is evolution of Kismet, infact Blueprints are still named “Kismet 2” in many places of UE4 source code).

Note that Unity use C# because they don’t want to open up native layer of there engine and they choose C# as it is free option for script system and as buffer between game code and enigne code, previously using JavaScript for that. While Epic prefer to do there own scripting systems.

If there will be any return of any text scripting language in UE4 (and there is whispers that it is considered), there 3 more likely options then C#:

-Python, as there already working implementation of it in UE4, but for now it primerly for editor scripting use and compatibility with other tools, as this language is one of most popular scripting solution for many development tools.

-SkookumScript, as developer of that system Agog Labs was recently acquired by Epic, every one expecting to be integrated one day, some people expected expected announcement of that in this year GDC.

-Less likely but still… return of UnrealScript it self, they already have experience with it.

During writing this anwser also i found this:

We like the simplicity of C# but we
don’t like the impedance mismatch
between C#’s containers and managed
runtime and C++ data structures. This
makes it tough to share data between
the C# and C++ world…

That said UE4 source openness allows any 3rd party to implement there own scripting solutions in to UE4, again there was already attempts to do so with C#, so there always chance it may be option available one day via 3rd party plugin.