Square Enix has reached an agreement to license the Unreal Engine 4, as well as Unreal Engine 3, from Epic Games. The deal gives the publisher rights to develop multiple titles using the Unreal Engine technology.

In addition to the licensing of the engine, Square Enix will receive “local support” from Epic Games in Japan to assist with the development. The move might be a bit surprising to some, as it has been known for some time that Square Enix has been funding the development of its own next generation engine which is known as the Luminous Engine. According to our sources, the company plans to continue the development of the Luminous Engine which will be used for some Square Enix titles.

It is not known which titles will make use of which engine, but the deal give the publisher options going forward into the new next generation consoles. The majority of Square Enix titles in the past have used proprietary engines developed by the publisher; but the Unreal licensing deal provides the company with an option it has not taken full advantage of in the past.