Unreal Engine 5.8 is a major audio release, despite Epic staffing cuts

Epic layoffs in March cut deep into the audio and music teams. But there’s hope that their work will live on in Unreal Engine and MetaSounds, via what is arguably the most innovative sound work built into any game engine. Unreal Engine 5.8, now in preview, features a bunch of powerful tools for working with sound, one of the biggest sound releases yet. Here’s a look at what’s in that roadmap.

From sushi pianos to Yoko Shimomura, Square Enix Music TV is the best TV

In a dark and often soulless world, the Square Enix Music Channel is a total oasis — like an instant-action antidepressant. Want to see the Osaka sound team play with a sushi piano? Want to hear composer Yoko Sihomura talk about figure skating? Want to tune into an hours-long stream of Final Fantasy III music? They’re here for you. I guarantee you it’s better than anything else you could possibly be watching.

Peter Kirn - April 27, 2026

That time NIN made a perfect ambient industrial soundtrack for Quake

The year was 1996. And Trent Reznor and NIN loved id Software so much that they made a deep, dark, legendary soundtrack for the breakthrough game Quake, for no fee — just for “friendship.” At a time when creativity can feel under attack, and the real world is starting to seem a little, uh, Quake-like, […]

Peter Kirn - March 18, 2026