About Epic Games

Christopher and Christen Main's journey from indie game developers to influential figures in the Unreal Engine ecosystem began in 2015, leading to the creation of Vertical Third, a comprehensive gameplay architecture available on the Unreal Engine Marketplace that earned them two Epic MegaGrants. As Creative Director, Illustrator, and Game Designer, Christen Main has played a pivotal role in developing Vertical Third, which gained significant recognition through a 3-hour showcase on Inside Unreal, Epic's official livestream, and has its tech demo available on the Epic Game Store. The platform's capabilities extend to cloud-based instanced dedicated servers for multiplayer functionality, while Christen's expertise has been further recognized through her roles as an Unreal Authorized Trainer and Epic Developer Community Author, specifically for the UEFN Boba Shop course on 3D modeling tools. In 2024, the duo represented Epic Games at the Game Developers Conference's Educator's Summit, presenting "Game Connectivity: Polishing Your Bells and Whistles," while continuing their creative endeavors through projects like "Wandering Wisp" and "The First CastleDay," both of which have been featured on Inside Unreal with behind-the-scenes content

In 2015, Christopher and Christen Main, then indie game developers, were navigating online demos, education games, and seeking funding through venture capital, government grants, and publishing. To streamline their workflow, they developed internal tools that eventually evolved into Vertical Third, a comprehensive gameplay architecture now available on the Unreal Engine Marketplace, which has received two Epic MegaGrants. Christopher, the sole programmer and tech artist for Vertical Third, integrated a proprietary launcher and patcher into the tech demo available on the Epic Game Store, and implemented online play with cloud-based instanced dedicated servers to showcase its multiplayer capabilities. Vertical Third was featured in a 3-hour showcase on Inside Unreal, and Christopher is an Unreal Authorized Trainer and Epic Developer Community Author for the UEFN Boba Shop course on 3D modeling tools. In 2024, the duo presented “Game Connectivity: Polishing Your Bells and Whistles” at the Game Developers Conference's Educator’s Summit on behalf of Epic Games. They continue to explore creative projects, including the pre-vis for “Wandering Wisp” and the cinematic short “The First CastleDay,” both of which have behind-the-scenes content on Inside Unreal

Logan Pinney, a distinguished Unreal Engine developer and educator with a Computer Science degree from Queen's University, has established himself as a prominent figure in game development education, combining technical expertise with creative innovation in world building, cinematics, and 3D animation. As an Unreal Engine Authorized Instructor and Mentor at CG Spectrum, he plays a crucial role in developing the next generation of developers and real-time artists, while his collaboration with Epic Games underscores his commitment to advancing industry education. His educational impact extends through his YouTube channel, where he creates accessible tutorials on Unreal Engine and Unreal Engine for Fortnite, catering to developers of all skill levels and ages. Beyond his teaching responsibilities, Logan serves as an ambassador for KitBash3D and Leartes Studio, contributing to asset pack quality assurance, and leads the comprehensive "Unreal Engine Fundamentals" course, where his encouraging teaching style and expertise help students transform their game development aspirations into reality

Christopher and Christen Main's journey in creating Vertical Third was shaped by the common challenges faced by indie game developers. As they navigated the demanding world of game development in 2015, they encountered significant obstacles that ultimately inspired their innovative solution. The rising costs and time requirements of game creation posed a major hurdle, making it increasingly difficult for small teams to work efficiently. To combat this, they developed internal tools to streamline their workflow, which later evolved into Vertical Third. Funding was another critical challenge, prompting them to explore various avenues including venture capital, government grants, and publishing opportunities. Christopher, as the sole programmer and tech artist, faced the daunting task of building a comprehensive gameplay architecture, including a proprietary launcher, patcher, and online multiplayer capabilities. Their perseverance through these challenges led to the creation of Vertical Third, a tool designed to help other developers save time and money in their game development process, ultimately earning recognition with two Epic MegaGrants and industry acclaim.

Lucas Pope, born in the late 1970s, has established himself as a prominent figure in the video game industry, known for his versatile skills and innovative approach to game design. His career spans various aspects of game development, including art, animation, and programming, but his true passion lies in game and level design. Pope's journey in the industry began with modding Quake, which led to the formation of Ratloop studio and the release of their first game, Malice. His expertise has been recognized by major companies, with Pope working at Naughty Dog where he significantly improved their GUI tools for the Uncharted series. Pope's most notable achievements are his critically acclaimed indie games Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, both of which won the prestigious Seumas McNally Grand Prize. Beyond game development, Pope has made substantial contributions to game education, teaching at institutions such as the Art Institute of Portland, Massey University in New Zealand, and Art Center Pasadena. Currently, he serves on the board of the Laguna College of Art and Design, representing game development and continuing to shape the future of the industry through both his creative works and educational efforts.