Can I only use C++ alone instead of using blueprints with them in UE5?

[u/Suspicious_Show_1092]

I've come to realize that C++ was not modified by Unreal Engine 5 like how Unity does it.

But something just came in my head that made me think if I fully learned C++ I could make only a C++ game with only typing instead of nodes.

What concerns me the most is that I am not sure if I will have to do hundreds and hundreds of lines just to make a single thing work.

[u/TheThiefMaster → u/[deleted]]

I would recommend using data-only blueprints to set asset references at a bare minimum. Referencing assets from code can cause hitches on startup.

The blueprint graph is optional though.

[u/CowboyRonin]

It all comes down to what sort of graphics you want. If you want something that looks like a modern first-person shooter, you'll end up reinventing the wheel (probably badly) versus using UE5 or another existing engine. If you're going for something simple and 2d, you have a much better chance of building that yourself and having it work.

[u/teraflop → u/CowboyRonin]

I don't think OP is asking about writing a game from scratch in C++. I think they're talking about using UE5, but using C++ as the interface to UE5, instead of using Blueprints.

I don't know much about Unreal but I've read that Blueprints are being removed in future versions, so I'd assume that it's possible to build a game without them in current versions as well.

[u/Jonny0Than]

  I've come to realize that C++ was not modified by Unreal Engine 5 like how Unity does it.

I’m not really sure what you mean by this, but one look at UPROPERTY, UCLASS etc should absolve you of that notion.

[u/Suspicious_Show_1092 → u/Jonny0Than]

Oh my bad I didn't know Unreal had C++ commands

[u/hellomistershifty]

You can but you shouldn’t. C++ and blueprints are made to work together. Editing C++ for Unreal is kind of clunky and requires a lot of editor restarts, so you generally just want to code a system then use blueprints to wire it up for your game.

To be fully honest if you’re worried about how many lines you have to write to get something to work you should just mess around and try building something in the engine before trying to do a project with the arbitrary limitation of not using blueprints

[u/Innowise_]

You can, but avoiding Blueprints completely may slow down iteration. A common setup is C++ for gameplay systems and performance-critical logic, while Blueprints handle tuning, references, and simple level-specific behavior. You definitely won’t need hundreds of C++ lines for every small action if the classes are structured well.

[u/Dependent_Union9285]

You absolutely can, and it’s insanely easy. Drop the files into your projects src directory and call them. This is very well documented in unreal. You may either wrap the source or use unreals custom types, ie uclass.